Musk’s dream of human settlement on Mars is getting closer, aiming for landing by 2029

US — SpaceX founder Elon Musk is accelerating his ambitious plan to settle humans on Mars. He claimed on Saturday via social media X that Tesla’s humanoid robot ‘Optimus’ will be launched on the Starship rocket by the end of 2026.

The world’s largest and most powerful rocket Starship (403 feet tall, about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty) is the cornerstone of Musk’s long-term vision for colonizing Mars. “Starship will carry Optimus to Mars in late 2026. If these initial landings are successful, a human landing could be possible in 2029, although it is more likely to take until 2031,” Musk wrote on X.

Musk, who is also Tesla’s CEO, unveiled the Optimus robot at an event last year. The robot, he says, will be able to perform small tasks and be friendly. Musk has said it could sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

Starship is designed to be fully reusable and is expected to be used to land astronauts on the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program. However, SpaceX will have to prove that the rocket is reliable, safe for crews and capable of complex procedures such as in-orbit refueling, which is essential for deep space missions.

Earlier this month (in March 2025), a prototype of Starship exploded during a test flight in the flight chamber. The incident appears to be a repeat of previous failed attempts. However, SpaceX is learning from such tests and moving forward with its goal.