SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed ambitious plans to launch five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within the next two years. The announcement was made through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), underscoring SpaceX’s drive toward advancing deep space exploration and making Mars a potential destination for human settlement.

The timing of these missions is aligned with the next Earth-Mars transfer window, which occurs in two years when the planets’ orbits bring them closest together, making space travel between the two more efficient. Musk explained that the success of these uncrewed missions will shape the timeline for future human missions to Mars. If the Starships land safely, crewed missions could launch in as little as four years. However, any complications might delay crewed flights by an additional two years.

While Musk has been known to adjust his forecasts over time, earlier this year, he speculated that an uncrewed Starship could land on Mars within five years, with human landings happening within seven. Despite these evolving predictions, SpaceX’s Mars colonization vision remains at the heart of Musk’s long-term strategy.

In the meantime, SpaceX has been making notable strides with Starship. In June 2024, the spacecraft achieved a major breakthrough when a prototype completed a full test mission around the globe. After surviving the intense conditions of reentry, the rocket made a successful landing in the Indian Ocean, marking a pivotal moment in Starship’s development and setting the stage for future Mars missions.

Starship is central not only to SpaceX’s interplanetary aspirations but also to NASA’s Artemis program. The spacecraft will play a key role in the Artemis 3 mission, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Originally scheduled for late 2025, the Artemis 3 mission has been delayed to September 2026, reflecting some of the broader challenges in developing SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft.

Private missions using Starship have also faced setbacks. In June 2024, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled his much-anticipated private mission around the Moon, citing uncertainties in the development timeline for Starship. The mission had been intended as a landmark moment for space tourism.

As SpaceX moves forward with its uncrewed Mars missions, all eyes will be on the outcomes. These missions are not only crucial for advancing technology but also for determining the feasibility of sending humans to Mars in the near future. For Musk and SpaceX, the next few years represent a critical phase in transforming their interplanetary travel vision into reality.