The world’s first trillionaire has pledged to send people to Mars, yet doubts persist about the timeline. SpaceX’s Starship includes a Super Heavy first stage and an upper stage spacecraft. For 2026 the company will emphasize extended Earth orbit flights and refueling tests, essential precursors to deeper space travel. Uncrewed cargo flights to Mars are now scheduled for the 2028 window to evaluate landings and deliver roughly 10-tonne payloads. If those succeed, crewed missions could occur during the 2028-29 or 2030-31 opportunities. Major obstacles remain, such as safely landing heavy vehicles, storing and producing fuel, shielding against radiation, ensuring reliable life support, managing crew health during isolation, and coping with communication delays.
