Musk plans to launch Starship to Mars in 2026 despite failures.

• Elon Musk predicts Starship’s first uncrewed voyage to Mars by the end of 2026.

• The timeline depends on Starship’s ability to perform challenging technical feats, particularly a post-launch refuelling manoeuvre in earth orbit.

• Musk gave SpaceX a 50% chance of meeting the seven to nine months transit time between Mars and Earth, which would take seven to nine months.

• The first Mars flight would carry a simulated crew of Tesla-built humanoid Optimus design robots, with the first human crews following in the second or third landings.

• Musk aims to launch 1,000 to 2,000 ships to Mars every two years to establish a self-sustaining permanent human settlement.

• NASA aims to return humans to the moon aboard Starship around 2027.

• Musk previously aimed to send an uncrewed SpaceX vehicle to Mars by 2018 and a first crewed mission by 2024.