Elon Musk announces departure of SpaceX’s Starship to Mars

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Friday announced the company’s Starship rocket would embark on a journey to Mars at the end of 2026.

The spacecraft will carry Tesla’s humanoid robot called Optimus onboard.

It is also known as Tesla Bot.

It is a general-purpose robotic humanoid “designed to perform tasks that are dangerous, repetitive and boring.”

Musk shared the information through a post on X, saying “Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.”

He further added if all goes well with those landings, human landings might begin as early as 2029 or more likely by 2031.

Starship’s test launches have encountered challenges

SpaceX has had a troubled history with the Starship rocket. All eight of its test launches have failed till now.

The latest was on March 7, when a Starship craft exploded minutes after launch and space debris fell back to Earth.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) then called for ground stops at several airports and opened an investigation into the launch failure.

Starship’s test flight aimed to simulate Mars landing

The test flight of the 123-metre tall rocket system was to make a full orbit around the Earth.

It will then re-enter over the Indian Ocean, simulating the landing sequence of its final Mars product.

SpaceX now needs to obtain clearance from the FAA for another Starship test after these failed launches.

The vehicle has to clear several tests proving it is safe for crew use.

It also has to prove that it is complex in-orbit refueling-capability, essential for long journeys in deep space.

NASA also awaits modified Starship for Artemis program

NASA is also expecting a tweaked version of the Starship to act as a lunar lander for its Artemis program.

The program seeks to get astronauts back to the Moon this decade.

But before SpaceX carries out these missions, it needs to show the vehicle is reliable and safe for crew use.

The rocket’s complex in-orbit refueling capabilities are critical for deep space missions.

They need to be tested thoroughly before going ahead with Mars or lunar landings.

Optimus is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs around 125 pounds, and has a carrying capacity of 45 pounds.

Optimus is equipped with advanced AI technology, including a neural network and computer vision.

This vision enables it to navigate and interact with its environment.

It also has a unique hard design with 22 degrees of freedom.

This allows it to perform intricate tasks like grasping fragile objects.

Tesla’s goal is to make Optimus a versatile robot that can assist humans in various settings.

The settings include factories, homes, and healthcare facilities.

Elon Musk has stated that Optimus could potentially become more significant than Tesla’s vehicle business over time.

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