Elon Musk, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX, received recognition from Axel Springer, a prominent media company, on Tuesday. Following the award presentation, he participated in an extensive conversation addressing a diverse array of subjects, including space exploration, Tesla’s advancements, artificial intelligence, and the issue of declining birth rates. Musk initially focused on SpaceX’s objectives for Mars, detailing the current schedules he is following to achieve travel to the red planet utilizing Starship, the company’s forthcoming spacecraft, which is anticipated to undergo a new high-altitude test within the coming week.

Musk projected that human arrival on Mars is expected within approximately six years, expressing a “fairly confident” outlook regarding this timeframe. This estimation is predicated on the alignment of Earth and Mars in their orbital paths around the sun, which occurs roughly every 26 months. SpaceX is planning an unmanned launch and landing on Mars, ideally coinciding with the next favorable orbital window in about two years. He further stated that, if circumstances allow, the initial human landing could potentially occur during the subsequent Mars-Earth alignment, potentially four years from now rather than six.

When questioned about his personal plans for space travel, Musk responded that a trip to orbit might occur “possibly two or three years” in the future. However, he emphasized that his primary dedication lies in establishing the necessary technology to facilitate “a lot of people to go to Mars and make life interplanetary, and to have a base on the moon,” thereby minimizing the importance of his individual spaceflight aspirations.

He also reaffirmed his desire to ultimately be interred on Mars (excluding the possibility of a fatal accident during spacecraft descent) and explained that, while he considers the development of a spacefaring civilization to be crucial for the continuation of humanity, he also intends to make the endeavor enjoyable, stimulating, and appealing, rather than simply a matter of necessity.

As previously noted, Starship is preparing for its inaugural significant high-altitude flight test. This test will take place at SpaceX’s facility in Texas, and the launch could occur as soon as later this week, contingent upon the successful completion of a crucial static engine test of the prototype prior to any actual flight.