Watch: Elon Musk: SpaceX to Launch First Uncrewed Starships to Mars in Two Years

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, announced on the social media platform X that the company plans to send its first uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, coinciding with the next opportunity for Earth-to-Mars travel.

Musk explained that these initial missions aim to test the spacecraft’s ability to land safely on Mars. Should these tests succeed, SpaceX intends to proceed with its first crewed missions to Mars within four years.

Musk envisions a rapid increase in flight frequency following these initial missions, with the ultimate objective of establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars within about 20 years. This ambitious plan is part of a broader vision Musk has been advocating since founding SpaceX in 2002.

Previously in April, Musk had projected that the first uncrewed Starship would land on Mars within five years and that the first human landing would follow two years later. Then in June, a Starship rocket successfully completed a full global test flight, including a fiery, hypersonic re-entry and landing in the Indian Ocean on its fourth attempt.

This milestone is a key part of Musk’s strategy to develop Starship into a versatile, next-generation spacecraft designed to transport both cargo and passengers to the moon later this decade and eventually to Mars.