Elon Musk has stated that a crewed landing on Mars is projected to take place in approximately five to seven years.
A crewed Mars landing is expected in roughly 5–7 years. An uncrewed landing (editor’s note) could occur several years earlier.
Elon Musk
He made this statement while commenting on a video of the NASA chief’s speech. The NASA head gave a considerably more conservative estimate for the first crewed mission — around 10–15 years after the anticipated lunar landing of astronauts in 2028.
According to the NASA leader, implementing a crewed Martian mission will require the development of new technologies, including nuclear propulsion systems, which will inevitably extend the preparation timeline. In contrast, Musk adopts a more optimistic outlook and believes humanity will be able to reach Mars much sooner.
The SpaceX CEO’s forecast aligns with the company’s current plans for the Starship programme. Under these plans, the first uncrewed cargo missions to Mars are not expected to launch before 2028.
Earlier, striking footage from a drone was published online, showing the Starship after its IFT‑13 test flight, which took place on 24 July 2026.
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