Elon Musk Plans to Send 1 Million People to Mars by 2050

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Elon Musk shared more details about his ambitious plan to establish a city on Mars by 2050, aiming to send 1 million people to the red planet. Musk revealed that SpaceX intends to build a fleet of 1,000 Starships, the reusable rocket ships being developed in South Texas, with the goal of launching three Starships per day, eventually making travel to Mars accessible to anyone willing to go.

Musk stated that he hoped to build 1,000 Starships over the next 10 years, which would amount to 100 Starships per year. Once the fleet is operational, the plan is to launch these ships at a rate of three per day. Musk emphasized that this mission needs to be affordable, with loans available for those who can’t afford the journey.

"There will be a lot of jobs on Mars!" Musk added, highlighting the economic opportunities that would come with creating a permanent settlement on the red planet.

Starship: The Key to Multiplanetary Life

Starship, if realized as designed, would be the most powerful launch system ever created. Each Starship launch is capable of sending over 100 tons of cargo and 100 people into orbit at once. While Musk did not detail all the materials necessary for the mission, a large volume of food, water, building materials, and life-support systems will be required to sustain a population on Mars.

Musk estimated that it would take about 100 megatons of material to make life on Mars sustainable. This would require sending substantial amounts of supplies each year, with 1,000 Starships ideally transporting all the necessary cargo. Each Starship would also carry 100 passengers, making it possible to move up to 100,000 people annually.

One of the critical factors in the timeline is the orbital alignment between Earth and Mars, which occurs approximately every 25 months. Musk plans to use these brief windows to launch all 1,000 Starships within a 30-day period during the alignment, maximizing the fuel efficiency for the mission. This plan, however, contradicts earlier statements where Musk mentioned flying 1,000 Starships to Mars each year, rather than every 26 months.

Building the Starship Fleet and Overcoming Challenges

Musk said a Starship prototype could launch within the next few months, with a first flight potentially happening within 2 to 3 months. SpaceX has already built several prototypes and is aiming to refine the design for a full launch system, which includes a 22-story booster called Super Heavy. Together, Starship and Super Heavy would stand around 387 feet tall, and the system is designed to be fully reusable.

The full system is expected to drastically reduce the cost of space travel, with each launch potentially costing as low as $2 million, making it much more affordable compared to current rocket systems. Musk aims to achieve this by making both the Starship and its booster reusable.

SpaceX has ambitious timelines, with previous hopes to launch Starship into orbit by mid-2020 and even send a person around the moon by 2023. However, these plans have been delayed, especially after the Starship prototype explosion. There are also several regulatory hurdles and safety concerns to overcome before any of the prototypes can be launched, including ensuring the safety of nearby residents in Boca Chica Village in Texas.

Musk’s tweet mentioned that the funds needed to support this ambitious project are why he is focused on accumulating assets on Earth.