Elon Musk's Bold Vision: Manned Mars Missions by 2028

Earlier, Musk revealed that the first Starship bound for Mars is scheduled for launch in 2026. This mission will primarily test the spacecraft's ability to fly to Mars unmanned and land on its surface.

Recently, Musk shared new information stating that if these unmanned Starship missions successfully land on Mars, the first manned Starship mission could launch by 2028. However, if challenges arise during the test flights, the manned mission might be delayed by two years, potentially setting back the timeline for human habitation on Mars to 2030.

Musk also shared his vision of making space travel to Mars accessible to everyone who dreams of grand adventures, including you, your family, and friends. He imagines a future where thousands of Starships journey to Mars, creating a magnificent sight. This ambitious goal is driven by Musk's desire to establish a multi-planetary human presence before potential disasters like nuclear wars, super viruses, or demographic collapses can threaten Earth's civilization and its ability to send supplies to Mars.

Musk's long-term objective is to build a self-sustaining human city on Mars within about 20 years. This Martian city would not rely on supply ships from Earth, ensuring that even if Earth were to face catastrophic events, human civilization could continue on Mars.

A significant technical challenge to achieving this vision is the need to drastically reduce the cost of transporting cargo to Mars. Currently, the cost is 1 billion per ton, but it needs to be reduced to100,000 per ton to feasibly establish and resupply a self-sufficient city on Mars.