Elon Musk unveils SpaceX's latest plans for colonizing Mars

BOCA CHICA, Texas - Elon Musk has unveiled SpaceX’s latest plans for flights to Mars, along with his long-term vision to establish a permanent human settlement on the red planet.

He made the announcement during an event in Starbase, Texas. The video was published Thursday by SpaceX.

"It's named [Starbase] because it is where we're going to develop the technology necessary to take humanity and civilization and life as we know it to another planet for the first time in the four-and-a-half-billion-year-history of Earth," Musk told a crowd of employees.

Elon Musk’s plans for flights to Mars

Big picture view:

SpaceX's Starship system, consisting of a Super Heavy rocket and a Starship spacecraft, is designed to be fully reusable and capable of carrying large payloads, including humans and cargo, to Mars. 

The tech billionaire outlined the development of future Starships, including the rocket’s technical plans and its performance improvements. He said SpaceX’s facility will eventually produce 1,000 Starships a year.

What they're saying:

"The next Mars opportunity is at the end of next year in about 18 months," Musk said. "I think we'll probably have a 50-50 chance right now because we've got to figure out orbital refilling in order to have enough capability to go to Mars. But if we achieve orbital refilling in time, then we will launch the first uncrewed Starship to Mars at the end of next year."

Elon Musk’s plans to make Mars habitable

Timeline:

Musk’s vision includes developing its fully reusable transportation system called Starship to carry crew and cargo first to the moon, then to Mars and ultimately build a self-sustaining city.

SpaceX said it aims to achieve this through mass-produced, super-heavy-lift launch vehicles and plans to send cargo missions to Mars as early as 2026, with potential human landings in the early 2030s. 

Musk noted that he plans to "ultimately make it so that anyone who wants to move to Mars and help build a new civilization can do so." 

He added: "I think it would be the adventure, the best adventure that one could possibly do, is to go and help build a new civilization on a new planet." 

According to SpaceX’s website, establishing a self-sufficient city on Mars will require upwards of one million people and millions of tonnes of cargo to be delivered to the red planet. By launching more than 10 times per day to maximize transfer windows that open up every approximately 26 months, several thousand Starships will ultimately transfer crew and equipment to build a lasting presence on another world.

"In order to achieve this goal, we have to make rapidly reusable rockets so that the cost per flight, the cost per ton to Mars is as low as possible. That's essential for that rapidly reusable rocket," Musk said.

The first human explorers to visit Mars will lay the groundwork for a permanent presence on the surface. Their mission objectives will include surveying local resources, preparing landing surfaces, setting up power generation and building habitats.

SpaceX loses control of Starship

Dig deeper:

The 403-foot rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, lifted off from Starbase on Tuesday. The company hoped the upper stage would travel halfway around the world before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. That goal was partially met, but a door designed to release eight mock Starlink satellites failed to open properly, preventing their deployment. The craft then slowly spun out of control and burned up during reentry.

It was the first time one of Musk's Starships — intended for moon and Mars travel — flew with a recycled booster. There were no plans to catch the booster with giant chopsticks back at the launch pad, with the company instead pushing it to its limits. Contact with the booster was lost at one point, and it slammed into the Gulf of Mexico in pieces as the spacecraft continued toward the Indian Ocean.

Musk also announced on Wednesday that he is officially stepping away from his advisory role in President Donald Trump’s administration, posting Wednesday that his time as a special government employee has ended. 

RELATED: Elon Musk leaves Trump administration after slamming ‘big beautiful bill’

"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk posted on X, the platform he owns. "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

SpaceXElon MuskU.S.Air and Space