SpaceX plans to send a Tesla Optimus humanoid robot to Mars next year, according to Elon Musk.
In between posts throwing shots at Democrats, Musk just said his company SpaceX plans to send a Tesla Optimus robot to Mars in 2026. The robot will travel via the aerospace manufacturer’s Starship rocket, which departs at the end of 2026.
“Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus,” he wrote. “If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.”
Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely. https://t.co/JRBB95sgNN
During the mission, the Tesla Bot will help assess autonomous operations and prepare for subsequent space missions. If the uncrewed mission is successful, Musk said humans could potentially land on the Red Planet by 2029 or 2031.
Tesla plans to start scaling production of its Optimus bots in 2025 for internal use and offer them more widely in 2026. Like other perceived leaders in the emerging humanoid robotics market like Figure AI and 1X Technologies, Tesla aims to offer its humanoids for between $20K and $30K once production is scaled. When they’re initially available, they’ll much pricier.
A Tesla Optimus robot was also featured with Kim Kardashian in the latest edition of Perfect Magazine. The biannual publication focuses on fashion imagery.
The pictures appear to be from November 2024, when Kardashian shared videos of her interacting with a Tesla Bot. She also shared clips of a gold Optimus in a Cybertruck.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) March 15, 2025
Meanwhile, an earlier Tesla Bot prototype was targeted by climate activists at a Tesla dealership in London. Two protestors poured orange liquid latex over the Optimus prototype displayed in the facility. The activists were identified as a 74-year-old retired teacher and a 63-year-old retired tax advisor.
During the demonstration, they criticized Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to dramatically scale back the US federal government for the Trump administration and for allowing extreme voices on his social media platform.