Elon Musk has announced a bold plan to build a human city on Mars. According to Cointelegraph, SpaceX aims to start sending uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in 2026 to test landing and safety. If these tests go well, crewed missions could begin by the end of the decade.

SpaceX plans to land on Mars during the next transfer window in late 2026, with the first missions being uncrewed. Crewed missions might start two to four years after that, depending on test results.

Musk stresses the importance of this mission due to declining birth rates and believes that expanding to other planets will help ensure the long-term survival of humanity. He wants to build a functioning city on Mars within 20 years.

Currently, sending payloads to Mars costs about $1 billion per ton, but Musk aims to lower this to $100,000 per ton. Achieving this will require major technological advancements.

Additionally, NASA research suggests that blockchain technology could help with space logistics and communication. SpaceX, with its large network of Starlink satellites, is well-placed to use blockchain for these purposes. The Independent reports that SpaceX has 6,370 active Starlink satellites, which control over 62% of all active satellites in low-Earth orbit.