Elon Musk says Earth won’t last forever, and Mars may be humanity’s best insurance policy. In a new talk, he lays out plans for SpaceX’s Starship to reach Mars by 2026—possibly carrying Tesla’s humanoid robots first. Musk warns that threats like World War III, AI, or even the sun itself make it vital to build a self-sufficient civilisation on Mars. The vision? One million people living independently from Earth—starting with rockets, robots, and a plain called Arcadia Planitia.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk has reiterated his long-standing call for humans to colonise Mars, warning that Earth’s future is far from secure. Speaking in a 42-minute internal talk released by SpaceX on X, Musk said that a backup civilisation on the Red Planet could ensure the survival of humanity in the event of a major catastrophe—such as “something crazy, like World War III.”
First Mars launch could happen by 2026—If all goes well
Musk believes there’s a 50-50 chance that the Starship rocket could send a simulated crew to Mars by the end of 2026. This timing is based on a small planetary window in December, when Mars and Earth will be at their closest. If they miss that, the next window won’t come until 2026
