ISLAMABAD: Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX aims to launch its first uncrewed Starship mission to Mars by the end of 2026, aligning with a rare celestial window when Earth and Mars are closest in their orbits. The announcement comes just two days after Starship’s latest test flight ended in failure, with the rocket disintegrating mid-flight. In a video shared by SpaceX, Musk laid out a detailed development roadmap for Starship, emphasizing the importance of orbital refueling and other critical technical milestones the spacecraft must achieve before attempting the interplanetary journey.
High Stakes and Tight Timeline for Mars Mission
Musk has given his ambitious 2026 Mars goal a 50-50 chance of success. If SpaceX misses the window, the next opportunity won’t come until 2028. The mission would carry a simulated crew of Tesla-built Optimus humanoid robots, with the first human passengers possibly following on subsequent flights. The long-term vision includes launching between 1,000 and 2,000 Starships every two years to establish a permanent, self-sustaining human colony on Mars. This aligns with Musk’s lifelong mission to make life “multiplanetary.”
Recent Setbacks and Future Plans
Starship has faced several high-profile failures, with three consecutive test flights in 2025 ending in disintegration. The most recent flight lasted 30 minutes before breaking apart mid-journey. Musk, however, remained optimistic, calling the incident “good data” for refining the rocket’s systems and promising an accelerated launch cadence. NASA also plans to use Starship for its Artemis missions, potentially landing humans on the Moon again as early as 2027 as a precursor to a Mars mission in the 2030s. Musk’s departure from his advisory role in the Trump administration further signals his renewed focus on SpaceX and its groundbreaking space exploration goals.
