(Reuters) -SpaceX plans to launch about 5 uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in two years, CEO Elon Musk stated on Sunday in a publish on social media platform X.
Earlier this month, Musk had stated that the primary Starships to Mars would launch in two years “when the following Earth-Mars switch window opens.”
The CEO on Sunday stated that the primary crewed mission timeline will rely on the success of the uncrewed flights. If the uncrewed missions land safely, crewed missions can be launched in 4 years. Nonetheless, in case of challenges, crewed missions can be postponed by one other two years, Musk stated.
Musk, recognized for offering altering timelines on Starship’s readiness, stated earlier this 12 months that the primary uncrewed starship to land on Mars could be inside 5 years, with the primary individuals touchdown on Mars inside seven years.
In June, a Starship rocket survived a fiery, hypersonic return from area and achieved a breakthrough touchdown demonstration within the Indian Ocean, finishing a full take a look at mission across the globe on the rocket’s fourth attempt.
Musk is relying on Starship to meet his purpose of manufacturing a big, multipurpose next-generation spacecraft able to sending individuals and cargo to the moon later this decade, and finally flying to Mars.
NASA earlier this 12 months delayed Artemis 3 mission and its first crewed moon touchdown in half a century utilizing SpaceX’s Starship, to September 2026. It was beforehand deliberate for late 2025, NASA stated.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa in June canceled a non-public mission across the moon he had paid for, which was to have used SpaceX’s Starship, citing schedule uncertainties within the rocket’s growth.
(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi and Mrinmay Dey in BengaluruEditing by Chris Reese and Marguerita Choy)
