SpaceX , the space company founded by Elon Musk, plans to launch the first unmanned Starships to Mars in the next two years, when the time is right for travel between Earth and Mars.
In a post on social network X on September 7, Mr. Musk shared that these ships will be crewless, aiming to test the ability to safely land on Mars.
Elon Musk said that if these landings go smoothly, SpaceX will continue to launch manned flights to the red planet within 4 years.
He also revealed that the company's goal is to increase the frequency of flights exponentially, with the ultimate goal of building a self-sustaining city on Mars in about 20 years.
Earlier in April, Elon Musk said the first unmanned Starship could land on Mars within five years, and the first human flight to the planet could take place within seven years. With the rapid advancement of technology, SpaceX is gradually realizing this ambition.
SpaceX took a big step forward in June when a Starship rocket successfully returned to Earth after a dramatic test.
The rocket returned to hypersonic speed and landed safely in the Indian Ocean, marking the fourth successful test of Starship. This is a major breakthrough, demonstrating Starship's ability to meet the rigorous requirements of space missions.
Elon Musk is placing great faith in Starship to fulfill a grand goal: creating a new generation of multi-purpose spacecraft, capable of not only taking people and cargo to the Moon this decade, but also flying to Mars.
SpaceX, since its founding in 2002, has been working tirelessly to develop space technology with the hope of ushering in a new era of space exploration. With its plans announced, Musk hopes that Starship will be the key to achieving his ultimate goal: building an interplanetary civilization, starting from Mars.
