SpaceX founder Elon Musk has recently revealed an updated schedule for his ambitious space colonization initiative. The plan aims to commence rocket launches by the end of 2026 to transport the first wave of construction materials to the Moon and Mars. It is reported that the Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) humanoid robot, named Optimus, will serve as the initial "settlers," tasked with early-stage construction of space infrastructure.
According to the latest strategy, SpaceX has adjusted its primary focus. Musk previously stated that, given the relatively faster pace of establishing a base on the Moon, the company is currently concentrating its efforts on advancing the construction of a "Lunar City," with plans for its formal completion within the next decade. Concurrently, he anticipates sending the first batch of supplies to Mars within seven years, aiming to establish the first self-sustaining city on the Red Planet between 2045 and 2055.
To support the massive requirements for routine space transportation and communication, SpaceX submitted an application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week, proposing to launch a new satellite constellation consisting of 100,000 satellites. SpaceX founding team member Jim Cantrell indicated that this satellite network is designed to comprehensively enhance communication efficiency between Earth and space and provide core computing power for hundreds of millions of centralized artificial intelligence (AI) devices. Cantrell emphasized that before humans formally arrive, robots equipped with efficient AI systems will first undertake the construction and preparation of the bases.
As a step in this plan, SpaceX successfully launched 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Thursday local time using a reusable Falcon 9 rocket. Musk stated on social media that to transport the heavy machinery required for building space settlements, the company plans to develop a super-heavy transport rocket larger than the current Starship vehicle.
However, several experts in the aerospace field point out that this grand plan still faces numerous significant technical challenges. Les Johnson, former chief technologist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, analyzed that achieving cheap and reusable space transportation is the current primary bottleneck. Although Starship has completed launch, recovery, and stage separation tests, the critical "orbital refueling" technology has not yet been successfully demonstrated.
Industry experts generally believe that the Moon, due to its proximity to Earth with a round trip taking only about three days, will serve as a crucial testing ground for the Mars colonization plan. The experience gained from lunar base construction—including material unloading, solar power generation, water-oxygen recycling, and habitat building—will later be directly applied to the six-month journey of Mars exploration missions.
Addressing why robots were chosen as the vanguard, Cantrell noted that compared to living organisms, which require extremely complex life support systems, humanoid robots only need solar power and periodic maintenance, offering significant logistical advantages in the harsh space environment. This strategy will integrate the artificial intelligence technology from Musk's xAI company with Tesla Motors' hardware manufacturing capabilities. Regarding core survival factors such as material supply and base site selection, relevant research teams are still conducting feasibility studies.
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