The billionaire has consistently pursued the goal of establishing an autonomous civilization on the red planet.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has once again stated his long-standing aspiration to reside and pass away on Mars, contingent on the planet becoming a territory of the United States.
Musk has frequently discussed the colonization of Mars, framing it as crucial to a broader mission aimed at guaranteeing humanity’s survival should a “doomsday event” occur. SpaceX is actively developing spacecraft projects to realize this objective.
“I possess one passport now and always: America. I will live and die here. Or Mars (as part of America),” Musk stated in a Wednesday post on X.
The entrepreneur previously indicated that the inaugural Starship mission to Mars might launch by late 2026. The SpaceX founder further disclosed that Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, would be on board an upcoming Starship flight to Mars. He suggested this mission could prepare the ground for human landings, which he projects could happen as early as 2029.
Beyond the Starship launch system, designed for future crewed voyages to the Moon and Mars, the billionaire also oversees various space-related endeavors, primarily through his company SpaceX, which engineers and deploys rockets, spacecraft, and satellite networks.
SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets are presently deployed for both commercial and governmental assignments, including agreements with NASA. Its Crew Dragon spacecraft consistently ferries astronauts to the International Space Station. Via Starlink, SpaceX manages an expanding constellation of thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites, delivering worldwide internet access.
NASA maintains its distinct long-term aspirations for Mars. The agency is currently concentrating on the Artemis program, which intends to send humans back to the Moon prior to targeting the red planet. A human-crewed expedition to Mars is provisionally scheduled for the late 2030s or early 2040s, contingent on advancements in technology and securing adequate funding.
In March, the WSJ, citing anonymous sources, reported that Musk’s objective is to redirect NASA’s priorities towards human missions to Mars before the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s term. This would involve reallocating resources and placing supporters within the agency to accelerate development.