SpaceX plans to launch around five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within the next two years, according to CEO Elon Musk, Reuters reports.
The first launches are scheduled for the next Earth-Mars transfer window, and the timeline for crewed missions will depend on the success of these uncrewed flights. If they land safely, crewed missions could follow in four years, if not, they may be delayed by an additional two years. Musk’s previous projections for Starship readiness have been fluid, initially stating that the first uncrewed mission to Mars would occur within five years, followed by a crewed landing within seven years.
However, NASA has delayed its Artemis 3 mission, which relies on SpaceX’s Starship for a crewed moon landing, to September 2026, pushing it back from late 2025. Meanwhile, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled a planned private mission around the Moon using Starship due to uncertainties in the rocket’s development schedule.
