Musk says first mission to Mars will launch next year

They currently have ~0 Starship launches into low earth orbit and would need something like 10 to even try for Mars. Seems they better pick up the pace.

I've always assumed the Mars talk was just cover for producing space weapon transport ships. Trillions of $$$ going into visiting a dead planet is bonkers if real. Humans can't even survive simulated planets in bio-domes without someone becoming unhinged and endangering the mission. If the goal is human survival if an asteroid or super volcano great filter came our way then a large ring ship with artificial gravity makes more sense to me as it can be moved out of the way of hazards, not that we would ever be able to build such a thing.

That's when the next launch window is, whether Starship is ready or not.

I think the real question is, "Why is Musk saying this now? Why this particular moment in time?"

My guess is he wants people to focus on something besides Starship's recent explosion. (If not some other recent bad news...)

Unmanned, right? So they have to demonstrate flight with insertion into a Mars approach and orbital insertion, and maintain comms.

Let's do the talk show live from the moon first...for first time

…right after full self driving and AGI

Sure. No government waste there.

DOGE is supposed to be reducing the national debt. Spending money on Mars missions won't reduce the debt.

"We're going to end up with complete autonomy, and I think we will have complete autonomy in approximately two years." - Elon Musk (2015)

When has he ever been wrong?

I think he should first focus on managing towards a Starship without RUD.

Oh, wait... focus...