SpaceX aims for Mars: Starship with Optimus set for 2026 launch
SpaceX plans to launch a groundbreaking flight to Mars in March 2026. The humanoid robot Optimus will be on board the Starship rocket, marking another step toward colonizing the Red Planet.
SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, has announced that the first flight of the Starship rocket to Mars is scheduled for March 2026. The humanoid robot Optimus, which is expected to play a key role in the mission, will be on board. Musk emphasized that if the landing is successful, humans could reach Mars by 2029; however, a more realistic timeframe is 2031.
The powerful Starship rocket
The Starship is an impressive, over 120-metre-tall structure designed to carry the most significant payloads into orbit. In addition to Mars missions, the rocket is poised to play a crucial role in the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there.
To date, Starship has completed eight test flights into space. The last of these, in early March, failed when the spacecraft lost control and exploded in the air. Despite this setback, SpaceX continues to perfect the technology.
On Friday, SpaceX, in cooperation with NASA, launched a Falcon 9 rocket towards the International Space Station (ISS). The mission's goal was the return of astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS. This further demonstrates the dynamic development of collaboration between SpaceX and the space agency.
