Wat-Not Staff
Within the next two years, Elon Musk claims to be prepared to launch his Starship rocket to Mars. In an announcement regarding X, Musk stated that unmanned flights to Mars will take place in 2026 and that their purpose will be to “test the reliability of landing intact” on the planet. Musk set a very aggressive timeframe, stating that Starship will transport humans to Mars for the first time in four years if all the testing proceeds as planned.
Starship Rocket built for a mission to conquer
Notably, throughout its test launches, SpaceX’s Starship has encountered a number of difficulties. The most massive and potent rocket ever constructed detonated during recent launch testing. “The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens,” the CEO of SpaceX stated in a post on X.
“To test the viability of landing intact on Mars, these will be unmanned. The first crewed flights to Mars will occur in four years if those landings proceed as planned,” he continued. Interestingly, the window for Earth-Mars transfers opens roughly every 26 months. The two planets are in their closest proximity at this moment.
In order to transport a million people to the red planet, Musk intends to build hundreds of Starships as part of his conquest of the planet. “Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years,” Musk added. The millionaire went on to say that if humans arrived on Mars and settled there, they would become a “multiplanetary” species, meaning they would live on two planets.
“Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically, on one planet,” he said. In a subsequent tweet, Musk stated that crewed missions to the red planet won’t take place until after the first landings in 2026 “are proven to be reliable”. He continued, “Four years is the best case for humans, might be 6, hopefully not 8.”
Musk’s idea of having another backup planet
The 165-foot-tall (50-meter) upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship and the first-stage booster Super Heavy make up the stainless-steel spacecraft. The height of Starship when placed on top of one another is approximately 400 feet (122 meters).
Musk had stated earlier this year that Starship will transport enormous payloads into orbit, which are required to conduct extensive Mars expeditions. “We need enough people and enough tonnage on Mars such that Mars can survive and continue consciousness even if something were to happen to Earth,” he stated.
According to reports, Musk wants a million people living on Mars in 20 years. He predicted in May that sending people to Mars will take fewer than ten years. NASA has stated that it is possible that the first humans won’t set foot on the planet until the 2040s.
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