SpaceX plans to launch five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars over the next two years, according to a statement by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X. Musk had previously indicated that the first crewed Mars mission will depend on the success of these uncrewed flights.

"If those all land safely, then crewed missions are possible in four years. If we encounter challenges, then the crewed missions will be postponed another two years," Musk said on X. He noted that travel from Earth to Mars is only possible every two years due to planetary alignment, adding that this constraint increases the difficulty of the task.

SpaceX's timeline reflects its goal of advancing human space exploration. Earlier this year, a Starship rocket completed a test mission around the globe, landing safely in the Indian Ocean, marking a critical milestone in its development.

Despite this progress, SpaceX has faced challenges in meeting certain schedules. NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which will use Starship to return astronauts to the moon, has been pushed to September 2026, after originally being slated for late 2025. Similarly, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled his private lunar mission due to uncertainties in the rocket's development.

Musk remains optimistic about the long-term vision for Starship. "No matter what happens with landing success, SpaceX will increase the number of spaceships traveling to Mars exponentially with every transit opportunity," he wrote. His vision includes enabling space travel for the masses, with thousands of Starships eventually making the journey to Mars.

"We want to enable anyone who wants to be a space traveler to go to Mars! That means you or your family or friends – anyone who dreams of great adventure," he added.

(With input from Reuters)