Elon Musk says Starship will reach Mars by 2026 with Optimus robots onboard

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has unveiled new details about his plan to send humanoid robots to Mars by the end of 2026. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk stated that SpaceX's Starship rocket is expected to carry Tesla's Optimus robots on its first mission to the Red Planet. This marks the first public mention of integrating Tesla's humanoid robots into a Mars mission.
Musk has previously emphasized the importance of making humanity a multiplanetary species to ensure the long-term survival of consciousness. While the timeline is ambitious, experts caution that significant challenges remain before such a mission can be realised.

SpaceX's Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Musk has indicated that the first uncrewed mission to Mars could occur by the end of 2026, with the primary goal of deploying Optimus robots to prepare the Martian environment for future human. This mission would represent a significant milestone in SpaceX's long-term objective of establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars.


Tesla's Optimus, also known as Tesla Bot, is a humanoid robot designed to perform tasks that are unsafe, repetitive, or boring for humans citeturn0search4. The robot stands approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and is equipped with advanced artificial intelligence to navigate and interact with the physical world. Optimus can walk, climb stairs, lift and carry objects, and manipulate items autonomously.
Tesla aims to produce several thousand Optimus units in 2025, with plans to scale up production to 50,000 units in 2026 citeturn0news33. The company envisions Optimus playing a crucial role not only in industrial settings but also in assisting with Mars colonization efforts.

While Musk's vision is ambitious, experts express skepticism about the feasibility of the proposed timeline. Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute, noted that achieving such a mission by 2026 would involve considerable risk and uncertainty. He suggested that a more realistic timeframe might span several decades, allowing for the development and testing of necessary technologies.
As of now, no official uncrewed Mars mission has been scheduled for 2026. NASA and SpaceX typically announce missions about a year in advance, indicating that a formal update may not come until late 2025.

Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and nominee to head NASA, has emphasized that Mars exploration will remain a top priority. Speaking before a Senate committee, Isaacman stated that efforts to return to the Moon and reach Mars could progress simultaneously, aligning with the broader goals of American space exploration.
This governmental support could play a pivotal role in advancing Musk's Mars mission plans, potentially facilitating collaboration between public and private sectors to overcome the challenges associated with interplanetary travel and colonization.