NEW YORK, March 17. /TASS/. US entrepreneur, owner of the SpaceX company Elon Musk said that humanity will start colonizing Mars in five to seven years.
"Yes. That will happen on either the second or third Earth-Mars launch window, so roughly five to seven years from now," he wrote on his X page.
According to Musk, the main question is whether the current level of technological development is enough to ensure the autonomous existence and development of human civilization on Mars, even if the supply of cargo from Earth will cease. Otherwise, he said, Mars will become extinct.
On March 15, Musk announced the launch of Starship spacecraft with humanoid robot Optimus to Mars in late 2026.
According to the plans of the development company, the Starship space system will be universal and can be used in different versions for manned flights into Earth's orbit, launching satellites and carrying out missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as to more distant celestial bodies. It is envisioned that the reusable Super Heavy booster and Starship will perform a vertical landing on Earth.