Starship, carrying Tesla's bot, set for Mars by end-2026: Elon Musk

FILE PHOTO: SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its Super Heavy booster is launched on its eighth test at the company's Boca Chica launch pad in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., March 6, 2025. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo

(Reuters) - SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Friday that Starship is set to depart for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Tesla humanoid bot Optimus.

Musk suggested in a post on X that human landings could begin as early as 2029, though 2031 was more likely if the initial landings go well.