SpaceX CEO Elon Musk anticipates his spacecraft will land on Mars within approximately two years.
In a recent X post, Elon Musk expressed his vision for a Martian democracy should the planet become inhabited. He advocated for a system of direct democracy on Mars, stating, “The Martians will decide how they are ruled. I recommend direct, rather than representative, democracy.”
Musk further projected a timeline for SpaceX’s Mars missions, suggesting that uncrewed Starships could land on Mars in about two years, with crewed missions potentially passing near Mars within four years and ultimately landing there within a similar timeframe.
Musk has been a long-time proponent of establishing humanity as a multi-planetary species, emphasizing Mars’s crucial role in ensuring human survival. SpaceX intends to transport both cargo and people, with initial missions focusing on establishing a foundation for permanent settlement.
During his endorsement of Donald Trump for the US presidency in September, Musk asserted that reaching Mars would be impossible if Vice President Kamala Harris won the election. He stated, “we will never reach Mars” under a Harris presidency, adding that Trump would be far more effective in achieving this goal. Trump ultimately defeated Harris in the election.
In October, following his election victory, Trump pledged to reach Mars by 2028, stating, “Elon promised me that he was going to do that. We’re gonna win, and he’s gonna reach Mars by the end of our term, which is a big thing, before China, before anybody. My money’s on that guy.”
Trump appointed Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead a special advisory group, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), designed to streamline government operations by reducing bureaucracy and regulations, and reorganizing federal agencies.