SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. 72 FILMS

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has reignited his Mars dream, announcing that Starship—the company’s reusable spacecraft—could carry a Tesla robot to Mars in 2027, with humans following by 2028. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk shared a video of Starship at its launch site, stating: “Starship will take humanity to Mars.” Musk previously outlined a roadmap that includes: First uncrewed Mars mission in 2026, Optimus (Tesla humanoid robot) landing in 2027 and a human mission by 2028. Musk also said the preferred landing zone on Mars is the Arcadia region, which balances elevation, access to ice, and terrain flatness—essential for rocket landings. SpaceX aims to build two Gigafactories (in Texas and at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center), each capable of manufacturing 1,000 Starships to meet the high demand for launch windows, which occur every 26 months. “This is where we’ll develop the technology to take civilization to another planet for the first time in Earth’s 4.5 billion-year history,” Musk said during a recent livestream. The next Starship version (V3) is expected to increase the number of Raptor engines from 33 to 42—a nod to the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” answer to the meaning of life. Starship will also support NASA’s Artemis III mission to the Moon, and Musk says a Starship-to-Starship refueling test is set for 2026, a vital step for Mars missions. Once operational, Musk envisions 1,000 to 2,000 Starships cycling between Earth and Mars, establishing not just a presence, but a city on Mars. “The first city on another planet… a new world,” Musk said. “Martians can rethink civilization, governance, and rules. There's freedom and opportunity.” To support communications, SpaceX plans to deploy Starlink internet satellites around Mars. ICA/Expat Media
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