(Credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX will send "about five" uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Sunday.
"If those all land safely, then crewed missions are possible in four years," Musk said on X, the social media platform he also owns. "If we encounter challenges, then the crewed missions will be postponed another two years."
Earlier this month, Musk explained that these first missions will not have humans on board so that SpaceX can test whether or how well it can land its ships "intact" on the red planet's surface. Mars has more extreme temperatures than Earth, with surface temperatures ranging from -14 to -120 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the location. Dust storms are also possible, and can cover the entire planet.
Global dust storms on Mars occur roughly every five and a half Earth years, so SpaceX will have to factor Mars' weather into its calculations. But NASA doesn't believe these global dust storms could destroy equipment because they top out at speeds of 60 miles an hour. Nevertheless, they could impact other parts of the landing process.
When Mars and Earth are aligned at their closest, the red planet is about 38.6 million miles from Earth. NASA estimates it will take spacecraft about nine months to travel to Mars. In July, NASA finished a year-long Mars simulation with human crew to test Mars' potential impact on human health.
Musk has opined about a desire to take humanity to Mars for years, but it's been unclear whether these dreams would actually come true in his lifetime. Musk has repeatedly slammed US regulators, including the FAA, after SpaceX failed to follow launch rules with its Falcon 9 rocket launches. The FAA may fine SpaceX roughly $633,000 as a result, but SpaceX has claimed the FAA just isn't "keeping pace" with the industry.
SpaceX has also criticized environmental reviews of its launches because they slow down its plans. But Texas regulators have found that SpaceX polluted local waters, and a New York Times investigation published in July found SpaceX allegedly misled officials about its environmental damage, which has harmed local wildlife. SpaceX has rejected the investigation, writing it off as "false" and "factually inaccurate."
Musk's EV firm Tesla has also faced criticism from regulators and fines for improperly disposing of hazardous waste at its California factory.
These planned Mars missions are mainly being funded by Starlink sales, but NASA is also reportedly contributing to the effort. SpaceX has launched over 7,000 Starlink satellites into Earth's orbit, and about 6,300 of them are currently up and working to provide internet to Starlink dish customers around the world.