Tesla Optimus Robot Will Walk on Mars Before Humans, Musk Confirms!

It looks like Elon Musk and SpaceX are getting serious about sending us to Mars. During a recent talk titled “Road to Making Life Multiplanetary,” Musk addressed SpaceX employees and revealed major updates. One of the most exciting announcements was the plan to launch version 3 of Starship before the end of this year. But that is not all—Musk also confirmed that the first uncrewed Starship mission to Mars is targeted for late 2026.

Interestingly, the very first mission will not involve humans at all. Instead, it will include Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus. The idea is to test the Martian environment and get a feel for the challenges before people make the trip. Musk explained that Optimus will explore and prepare the landing area to pave the way for human settlers.

There is a big hurdle SpaceX needs to overcome first: in-orbit refueling. This has never been done before, and it is a game-changer for reaching deep space destinations. Musk believes the company can crack this technology by next year, which is crucial for making that 2026 Mars mission a reality.

As for Starship version 3, it will be more than just a rocket. Musk described it as having “all the ingredients necessary to make life multiplanetary.” SpaceX is also planning future Starship variants that will be taller—one version will be 142 meters tall, a noticeable jump from the 121-meter rocket used for Flight 9 earlier this week.

Looking ahead, Musk said if the Optimus landings go smoothly, humans could follow as soon as 2028. There is also talk of sending Optimus on two separate landings before bringing people into the mix. Once humans arrive, construction of infrastructure on Mars would begin shortly after.

Another crucial part of Musk’s vision involves Starlink. He pointed out that the internet system many people use today could soon power communication on Mars. In fact, if you own a Starlink router, you are already helping fund humanity’s journey to the red planet.

Musk closed his presentation by saying that achieving a true civilization on Mars means transporting millions of tonnes of materials there regularly. “Let’s get it done,” he said with his usual energy.