LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Just two days after the latest in a series of high-profile test flight failures involving SpaceX’s Starship, Elon Musk announced plans to send the next-generation spacecraft on its first uncrewed mission to Mars by the end of 2026.

In a video shared online by SpaceX, Musk outlined a detailed roadmap for Starship’s development, emphasizing that while the goal is ambitious, it hinges on overcoming several complex technical challenges—particularly the ability to refuel the spacecraft in Earth orbit post-launch.

The proposed 2026 mission would take advantage of a favorable launch window that occurs every two years when Earth and Mars align closely in their orbits. This window reduces the travel time between the planets to approximately seven to nine months.

Musk estimated a 50% chance of meeting the 2026 deadline. If missed, the mission would be postponed to the next alignment in 2028.

The inaugural Mars voyage would be uncrewed, instead transporting robotic systems modeled on Tesla’s humanoid Optimus design. Human crews could follow in later missions, potentially the second or third Starship flights to the Red Planet. Musk also reiterated his vision of establishing a permanent, self-sustaining human settlement on Mars, suggesting that SpaceX may eventually launch 1,000 to 2,000 Starships every two years to support this goal.

NASA also has major plans for Starship, aiming to use it for a crewed lunar landing as early as 2027—marking the first human return to the Moon in over half a century. This mission is viewed as a stepping stone toward sending astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.

Musk’s renewed focus on SpaceX and other ventures like Tesla follows his recent departure from his advisory role under the Trump administration, where he was involved in efforts to reduce government bureaucracy. He had previously signaled intentions to step back from government-related activities to devote more time to his companies.

Historically, Musk has set aggressive timelines for Mars exploration. He once aimed to launch an uncrewed mission to Mars in 2018 and a crewed one by 2024—both of which were delayed due to technical and logistical hurdles.

His most recent Starship presentation was scheduled for Tuesday night at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas but was abruptly canceled following the failure of Starship’s ninth test flight. Roughly 30 minutes into the flight, the spacecraft lost control and disintegrated mid-air—failing to achieve several key objectives.

Previous tests in January and March ended in more dramatic fashion, with the spacecraft exploding shortly after liftoff, scattering debris over the Caribbean and disrupting nearby air traffic.

Despite these setbacks, Musk remains optimistic. In a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), he said the latest test yielded valuable data and promised an accelerated testing schedule moving forward.