SpaceX set for historic Mars mission with Starship in 2026
SpaceX is planning a groundbreaking mission to Mars in March 2026. The humanoid robot Optimus will be onboard the Starship rocket, marking another step toward colonizing the Red Planet.
SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk, has announced that the first launch of the Starship rocket to Mars is scheduled for March 2026. Aboard will be the humanoid robot Optimus, a key mission element. Musk emphasized that if the landing is successful, humans could reach Mars as early as 2029, although a more realistic timeline is likely around 2031.
The mighty Starship rocket
The Starship is a remarkable structure, standing over 394 feet tall and designed to carry the largest payloads into orbit. In addition to Mars missions, the rocket is expected to play a crucial role in the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there.
So far, Starship has completed eight test flights into space. The last one, in early March, failed when the spacecraft lost control and exploded mid-air. Despite this setback, SpaceX continues to perfect the technology.
On Friday, SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, launched a Falcon 9 rocket toward the International Space Station (ISS). The mission's goal is to return astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS. This demonstrates the dynamic development of cooperation between SpaceX and the space agency.
