Elon Musk confirms he'll be sending 'humanoid robots' to Mars on SpaceX flight to begin 'colonization'

The robots were initially announced as household assistants in 2024.
PUBLISHED APR 16, 2025
(L) Elon Musk at the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity, June 19, 2024 (Photo by Richard Bord/WireImage); (R) A Tesla Inc. Optimus robot is on display during the 'Paris Games Week' on October 22, 2024 (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
(L) Elon Musk at the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity, June 19, 2024 (Photo by Richard Bord/WireImage); (R) A Tesla Inc. Optimus robot is on display during the 'Paris Games Week' on October 22, 2024 (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Everyone seems to want a piece of the cake when it comes to space exploration. Elon Musk is certainly ahead of the curve when it comes to that, having launched the SpaceX initiative years ago. As new heights are explored, Musk recently expressed his plan to send Tesla's humanoid robots to space, as per Global News. Musk announced on X that the ‘Optimus’ humanoids could be on a SpaceX flight to Mars by 2026. These robots were initially publicized in October 2024 as household assistants that would do any assigned task. Now, they seemed to be destined for the red planet. Musk reportedly told SpaceX employees that he wanted to have 1 million people living on Mars in 20 years, reported New York Times.



 

Elon Musk has always emphasized his ambition to colonize Mars, and this might be a new step in his plan. “Starship will hopefully depart for Mars at the end of next year with Optimus explorer robots,” Musk wrote in his post. This long-term goal and Musk’s organization are an important part of NASA’s plan to visit Mars. This step is an indication that Musk and his influence on space exploration are widening. This announcement was made a few hours after a statement by billionaire tech CEO Jared Isaacman, who was a nominee of the President to lead NASA.

Jared Isaacman, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be NASA Administrator, testifies during a confirmation hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 09, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Jared Isaacman, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be NASA Administrator, testifies during a confirmation hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 09, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The statement highlighted the billionaire’s vision to focus on both the moon and Mars together and prioritize putting Americans on Mars. This grand plan was publicized by Isaacman at his nomination hearing. Partnering up with SpaceX to turn this vision into a reality would be helpful. The organization is developing the Starship Super Heavy to launch people and cargo to the moon and Mars. Musk also emphasized how the journey to Mars could be shortened from six and nine months to 90 days. This can be achieved by employing the most suitable technology.

The sun sets behind the SpaceX Starship ahead of its fourth flight test at Boca Chica beach on June 05, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The sun sets behind the SpaceX Starship ahead of its fourth flight test at Boca Chica beach on June 05, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The Optimus robots were unveiled at Tesla's "We, Robot" event in October 2024. "It'll do anything you want. It can be a teacher, babysit your kids. It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, and serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do," Musk commented at the unveiling, as per Newsweek. He had often spoken about sending unmanned crafts to Mars, but this new tweet was the first time he mentioned the robots being a part of that plan. This is the first step towards his goal to colonize Mars, which he hopes will happen in 20 years.

SpaceX Starship Flight 8 takes off from Orbital Launch Pad A at Boca Chica Beach on March 06, 2025, in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
SpaceX Starship Flight 8 takes off from Orbital Launch Pad A at Boca Chica Beach on March 06, 2025, in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, was skeptical about the robot's capabilities. "If you start to look at the practical things, it's going to take quite a bit of time to actually pull it off. Could it happen this decade? It could, but with a whole lot of risk. But if you give me three decades, I could see how the risk could possibly drop to an acceptable level," he said. Experts note how the history of Starship flights is to be taken into account, with a balance of successes and failures. This goal can take numerous test launches before an attempt at flight.

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center on February 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center on February 20, 2025 (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Musk had previously hinted at the preparation of an unmanned flight to Mars in 2026 and added that astronauts would follow in the mission after. However, no official scheduling has been done for these flights. NASA and SpaceX launches are usually scheduled a year prior, so any update regarding this mission can be expected by the end of 2025. Apart from the technical aspects of the flight, experts have concerns regarding the political landscape surrounding the mission. Some believe that there is “ no way humans are going to be on Mars while Trump is in office.”

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