Elon Musk Confirms Starship to Carry Tesla Optimus to Mars by 2026, Predicts Human Landing by 2029

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hinted at a possible timeline for human landings on Mars.

What Happened: On Saturday, Musk posted on X that SpaceX’s Starship is scheduled to depart for Mars by the end of 2026, carrying Tesla Inc.’s TSLA Optimus robot. He indicated that if the landings go well, human missions could start as early as 2029, although 2031 seems more probable.

Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.

If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely. https://t.co/JRBB95sgNN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025

The post comes in the wake of SpaceX’s 23rd anniversary, celebrated on March 14. The reference to Optimus is notable as it connects to Tesla’s humanoid robot development, initially revealed in 2021, designed for tasks both on Earth and in space. Musk anticipates their involvement in Mars exploration as early as 2026.

Why It Matters: Musk’s post aligns with his long-term vision for human settlement on Mars, with potential missions beginning in 2029 or 2031, according to recent updates. In February, Musk also mentioned that making Mars self-sustaining or capable of supporting human life will take somewhere between 25-50 years.

In a Reuters report in November, sources familiar with U.S. President Donald Trump’s space policy agenda revealed to the publication that Elon Musk’s vision of human transportation to Mars is set to become a greater national priority under the President. “We want to reach Mars before the end of my term,” Trump said during his 2024 presidential campaign. He had even set up the Space Force and revived the National Space Council during his previous term.

George Nield, president of Commercial Space Technologies and a former FAA official had told AFP in November, “There’s a good chance we’ll see at least a re-look at the Artemis program—whether that means speeding it up or even skipping the moon to focus on Mars.” This could be a monumental change for a program estimated to cost over $90 billion.

On Friday, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off, carrying a crew to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a mission to return two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, back to the U.S.

READ MORE: