The CEO of the American company Elon Musk announced the launch of a space apparatus with a humanoid robot named "Optimus" to Mars at the end of 2026. Musk wrote on the platform "X" that "the spacecraft will be sent to Mars at the end of next year, and Optimus will work on board." He added that if the flights with the robot are successful, then by 2029 it is possible to send space apparatuses with humans. "If the landing operations are successful (on Mars), then human landings could start in 2029, although the most likely date is 2031," he continued.
In December 2024, Musk proposed that the crewless spacecraft "Starship" could land on Mars within the next two years, during which crewed missions might be launched there in the coming four years. Musk also stated that humanity needs to master travel between the stars, otherwise it may vanish in the future due to the expansion of the Sun or collisions of Earth with asteroids.
