On Saturday, Elon Musk declared that the colossal Starship rocket, designed to facilitate lunar landings by 2026, will reach Mars within the next five years.
SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace venture, achieved a significant milestone this week with the successful launch of the third test flight of its towering 400-foot Starship rocket, accompanied by the Heavy booster.
“Starship will be on Mars within 5 years,” announced the billionaire on X, his preferred platform for updates. Musk also shared images of the Starship rocket, expressing amazement that such technology is now a reality.
In discussing potential strategies for warming up Mars, Musk suggested utilizing reflectors manufactured on Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars.
Starship stands as the most potent rocket globally, designated for missions to transport humans to the Moon initially and, eventually, to Mars.
Comprising a massive first-stage booster known as Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft measuring 50 meters, Starship embodies the future of space exploration.
Musk’s long-term vision involves relocating at least one million individuals to Mars, emphasizing, “We are mapping out a game plan to get a million people to Mars.”
He underscored the necessity of establishing a self-sustaining presence on Mars, envisioning a future where trips to the Red Planet are as routine as domestic flights.
Moreover, Musk articulated ambitions for a lunar base, asserting, “Humanity should have a moon base, cities on Mars, and be out there among the stars,” illustrating his steadfast commitment to advancing human civilization beyond Earth’s confines.