Elon Musk has updated his predictions for the first manned mission to Mars, and again this date is a little later than it used to be. While NASA initially made more realistic predictions, SpaceX began by announcing a surprisingly early date.
However, this was postponed over time, and the final update will be implemented in 2029. The reason, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and war conflicts, seems to be related to the fact that the launch of Starship that would be used for the trip; which is not yet ready. It is true that they have made very important progress in recent months, but not enough to meet their most optimistic forecasts.
A trip to Mars cannot be made at any time
The movements of the two planets, along with other important factors, mean that there are only very specific periods, known as launch windows, during which such a journey can take place.
The closest thing to that time is at the end of this year. In fact, it was the vehicle that the European Space Agency (ESA) used to send its first rover to Mars if it weren't for the breaking of ties with Russia. Then there will be another one by the end of 2024. This is the date that Elon Musk originally chose, although he quickly realized that he will have to wait for the next one, at the end of 2026.
In fact, in December 2021 it keeps the date. However, this week the CEO of SpaceX announced that everything is being postponed again until the next window, which will take place between the end of 2028 and the beginning of 2029. In particular, Musk announced the postponement of the trip to Mars in 2029. At this rate, it could coincide with NASA's prediction.
The first stop is on the Moon, then Mars
This year marks half a century since man last stepped on the moon. That was with the Apollo 17 mission, in 1972. Since then, many missions have been sent to the Earth's main satellite, but none have been manned.
This was intended to get to know the terrain a little more, so that future selenium field trips would be safer for astronauts. In addition, the new mission is expected to have an innovative air, to live up to the times and include at least one woman in the crew.
To this end, the Artemis program was developed, which belongs to NASA and its partners in Europe (ESA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA), Brazil (AEB), Australia (ASA) and Mexico (AEM). Originally, the mission's first moon landing was scheduled for 2024. However, problems in the development of the spacesuit and the moon landing system caused it to be postponed until 2026.
After completing this trip to the Moon, NASA fixed its eyes on Mars. However, it was announced from the outset that this manned mission could not be carried out before the 2030s. Instead, Elon Musk was much more optimistic. Their goal was always to colonize the red planet as quickly as possible, thanks to the use of their reusable space shuttle Starship. SpaceX has been working for years to get everything ready. But maybe it's too early for dates.
Elon Musk's New Prediction
The Space Center's Twitter account posted an announcement this week asking when humans will first set foot on Mars. He mentioned Elon Musk directly when asked about his predictions.
As of December 2021, when he was still betting on 2026, the CEO of SpaceX did not give a new date. However, he responded to that Twitter post with a brief “2029″.
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