SpaceX is aiming to launch “about five” uncrewed Starship voyages to Mars in two years’ time, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Sunday.
Musk said that if the uncrewed missions land safely on the red planet, then the first crewed mission could take place as early as 2028, but added that “if we encounter challenges, then the crewed missions will be postponed another two years” due to the alignment of Earth and Mars that makes such journeys possible. He continued: “We want to enable anyone who wants to be a space traveler to go to Mars! That means you or your family or friends — anyone who dreams of great adventure. Eventually, there will be thousands of Starships going to Mars and it will a glorious sight to see! Can you imagine? Wow.”
It’s worth noting that Musk’s space-based timelines often slip. In 2016, he said SpaceX was panning to send a rocket to Mars “as soon as 2018,” and in 2022 he said the Starship could make its first flight to the distant planet this year.
His latest comments on his long-held dream to eventually colonize Mars come as SpaceX awaits permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the fifth orbital test flight of the Starship, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy rocket and upper-stage Starship spacecraft.
The FAA is currently investigating the environmental impact of the Starship flights, along with the safety measures being put in place for the fifth one, and SpaceX can’t fly until that investigation is complete. Much to SpaceX’s annoyance, the FAA said recently said that it would need until at least the end of November to finish its work.
Responding to recent criticism by SpaceX over the time it’s taking, the FAA explained that SpaceX’s current license authorizing the Starship’s fourth test flight “also allows for multiple flights of the same vehicle configuration and mission profile,” but said that “SpaceX chose to modify both for its proposed Starship Flight 5 launch, which triggered a more in-depth review.”
It added that Musk’s spaceflight company also submitted new information in August “detailing how the environmental impact of Flight 5 will cover a larger area than previously reviewed [and that] this requires the FAA to consult with other agencies,” meaning that more time is needed to complete its investigation than originally expected.
Musk said in Sunday’s social media post that he wants to make human existence multiplanetary “before something happens on Earth to prevent that, for example nuclear war, a supervirus or population collapse that weakens civilization to the point where it loses the ability to send supply ships to Mars,” but blamed what he sees as over-regulation by government for slowing down the Starship testing program, as well as other large engineering projects.
While many may sympathize with Musk’s frustration at not being able to proceed more quickly with the Starship test program, others insist that such regulations are essential to ensure public safety, maintain industry standards, reduce the risk of catastrophic events, and protect ecosystems.