SpaceX to send robot to Mars aboard Starship in 2026
Elon Musk announced that SpaceX's Starship rocket will head to Mars in March 2026. Onboard will be the humanoid robot Optimus.
SpaceX's first Starship rocket flight to Mars is scheduled for March 2026. Elon Musk shared this information on X. The humanoid robot Optimus will be onboard the rocket.
Starship is an impressive rocket that can reach over 394 feet and is designed to carry large payloads into orbit. In addition to Mars missions, Starship plays a crucial role in the Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there.
Elon Musk predicts that if the Starship landing on Mars is successful, humans could reach the Red Planet as early as 2029. However, this prediction is optimistic; 2031 is much more likely.
Starship has already completed eight test flights to space. Unfortunately, a malfunction occurred during the last flight in early March, causing the spacecraft to lose control and explode in the air.
Falcon 9 embarked on a rescue mission to the ISS
On Friday, the Falcon 9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, destined for the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, organized by NASA and SpaceX, aims to bring astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth, who have been on the station since June.
The Falcon 9 mission encountered some technical difficulties. The launch, originally planned for Wednesday, was postponed. NASA also had to modify some flight safety verification procedures due to SpaceX's "rapid operational pace." This included investigating a fuel leak and the deteriorating conditions of the coating on some Dragon capsule engines.
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams, despite the extended stay, conducted scientific research and performed routine maintenance work on the ISS.
