Elon Musk noted in a post on social media platform X that he is confident an uncrewed Starship mission to Mars would be possible in two years. And as per the CEO, the payload in these uncrewed missions would include the Tesla Cybertruck and Optimus robots.
Musk’s comments were shared on X following the sixth test flight of Starship. In later posts, the CEO noted that the biggest technology challenge for Starship is its full reusability and capability to launch without refurbishment. With Musk discussing Starship, it was no surprise that a number of X users promptly asked about the spacecraft’s first mission to Mars.
As per Musk, he is confident that several uncrewed Starship missions should be possible within the next two years. Provided that these missions are successful and there are no untoward incidents, Musk noted that crewed Starships could be sent in four years. While the CEO’s timeline for a crewed Starship launch to Mars is very ambitious, the idea of uncrewed Starship missions to Mars is just as exciting.
I am highly confident that we can send several uncrewed Starships to Mars in 2 years.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2024
If those ships don’t increment the crater count on Mars, then crewed ships can be sent in 4 years.
This was highlighted by ARK Invest’s Bret Winton, who asked Musk about the payload of Starship’s uncrewed flights. Musk responded directly, stating that the spacecraft would be loaded with Tesla Cybertrucks and Optimus robots. Both products make sense as the Cybertruck is designed to work in rough terrain, and Optimus can perform tasks in a humanlike manner.
Cybertrucks and Optimus robots
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2024
While it remains to be seen if Musk’s recent estimate for Starship’s Mars missions would be yet another overly optimistic target, the idea of Cybertrucks and Optimus bots operating on another planet within the next few years is undoubtedly exciting. The Cybertruck and Optimus, if any, could help SpaceX prepare for its first manned missions to the red planet by gathering pertinent real-world data straight from Mars’ surface.
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