Musk says Starship with robot aboard to fly to Mars in late 2026

"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," Musk said on X.

In December 2024, Musk claimed that unmanned Starship spacecraft could land on Mars in two years, while manned Starship missions could go there within the next four years. In September, Musk said that humanity must master interstellar flights, otherwise, it could disappear in the future due to the expansion of the Sun or the collision of the Earth with an asteroid.