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SpaceX’s Starship to leave for Mars end of 2026, Musk says

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Despite recent failures, Elon Musk insisted the world’s most powerful rocket will soon blast off to the Red Planet. The tech billionaire said human landings could begin before the end of the decade.

Provided by Deutsche Welle
© SpaceX/AFP

 

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Friday that his company’s massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026, carrying with it Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus.

In a post on X, Musk also suggested that human landings on Mars could begin as early as 2029 if the initial landings go well, though 2031 was more likely.

The update follows several recent disappointments for the world’s first private space firm and Musk’s long-term vision of colonizing Mars.

What is Starship and what will it do?

Starship — the world’s largest and most powerful rocket — is key to Musk’s plan to colonize Mars.

At 403 feet (123 meters) tall, about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, the rocket is designed to eventually be fully reusable.

Designed for deep space exploration, it is hoped Starship will make missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, making space travel more cost-effective and efficient.

NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade.

However, before those missions can take place, Space X must prove the vehicle is reliable, safe and capable of complex in-orbit refueling, which is critical for deep space missions.

Multiple test flights of the Starship prototype have taken place, with several failures but also milestones like reaching space.

Earlier this month, SpaceX faced a setback when its latest test flight ended in a fiery explosion, its second failure this year.

Despite this, the firm’s approach of “fail fast, learn fast” has helped it become the world’s dominant launch services provider.

On March 6, a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded after liftoff, a second failure this year© @_ericloosen_ via REUTERS

What is Optimus?

Also known as Tesla Bot, Optimus is a humanoid robot being developed by Musk’s electric vehicle company.

It’s designed to perform repetitive, dangerous, or mundane tasks that humans would rather avoid.

The tech billionaire revealed the robot at an event last year. saying he expects it to retail for $20,000 (€18,300) to $30,000.

Will Trump make Mars a priority?

In November, Reuters news agency cited sources saying that Musk’s dream of transporting humans to Mars would become a bigger national priority under US President Donald Trump.

The sources said that Musk’s desire for reforms of the Federal Aviation Administration, the US space and aviation regulator, could help the Mars ambitions.

Musk has frequently clashed with the FAA, accusing it of over-regulating SpaceX over safety and environmental concerns, which he said has slowed the development of Starship.

Trump also vowed in his inauguration speech in January “to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”

However, Musk’s status as one of Trump’s closest advisors and his influence over federal regulators are raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest for his companies, including SpaceX.

Musk’s alignment with Trump, along with accusations of interference in European politics, has made him a target for fierce criticism, political roadblocks and potential legal action.

Trump bought a Tesla this week in a show of support for Musk, whose foray into politics has drawn deep criticism© Getty Images

Edited by: Kieran Burke

Author: Nik Martin (with AFP, Reuters)

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French Tesla customers sue over brand becoming ‘extreme right’

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Tesla sales in the EU have nearly halved, with many customers looking for electric cars put off by Elon Musk's political positions. Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File Source: AFP

Around 10 French clients with leases on Teslas are suing the US carmaker, run by Elon Musk, because they consider the vehicles to be “extreme-right” symbols, the law firm representing them said on Wednesday.

They feel they suffered “direct and concrete” damage from the way Teslas are now associated with “Elon Musk’s actions”, the GKA law firm said.

They are demanding the Paris commercial court order their lease contracts be terminated and legal costs reimbursed, it said in a statement, signed by lawyers Patrick Klugman and Ivan Terel.

The lawsuit comes as Tesla sales in the European Union have almost halved since the beginning of the year, a slump attributed to Musk’s political activities.

Those activities include him — until last week — standing firmly with US President Donald Trump, and overseeing efforts to cut down US departments and agencies.

He has also lent public support to Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and came under criticism for making a repeated gesture with an out-thrust arm interpreted by many historians to be a Nazi salute.

“Because of Elon Musk’s actions… Tesla branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable extreme-right ‘totems’, to the dismay of those who acquired them with the sole aim of possessing an innovative and ecological vehicle,” GKA said in a statement.

The perception of the Teslas they leased “prevents them from fully enjoying their car”, it said.

Most of the leases run for four years, with an option at the end to buy the vehicle.

Tesla cars in Europe and elsewhere have been targeted by vandals, with some drivers reporting they have been insulted for using what is sometimes called on social media a “swasti-car”.

Several owners have taken to putting stickers on their Teslas reading “I bought this before Elon went crazy”.

“The situation is both unexpected and impossible for French Tesla owners,” Klugman told AFP.

“Musk’s political positions have interrupted enjoyment” of the vehicles, and “we believe that Mr Musk owes these buyers the peaceful possession of the thing sold”, he said.

Contacted by AFP for comment, Tesla did not immediately respond.

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Elon Musk unveils XChat to rival WhatsApp, Telegram, others globally

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Billionaire Elon Musk is pushing forward his ambition to transform X (formerly Twitter) into an “everything app” with the launch of XChat, a new messaging feature designed to rival the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.

Unveiled over the weekend, XChat introduces end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, file sharing, and audio/video calling.

Musk described the tool as “all new” in a post on Sunday, emphasizing its focus on secure, private communication.

“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages, and the ability to send any kind of file.  

“This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, a whole new architecture. You can do audio/video calls without a phone number across all platforms,” Elon Musk posted.

Early reports suggest the feature is already in beta testing among paid X subscribers. Leaked screenshots by app researcher Nima Owji show support for group chats, a vanish mode, and a four-digit passcode to lock messages, a significant upgrade to X’s previous direct messaging capabilities.

The bigger picture 

XChat is part of Musk’s long-term goal of morphing X into a Western super app, similar to China’s WeChat.

This vision encompasses everything from messaging and payments to entertainment, commerce, and even dating.

Musk previously told employees he wants X to function as a digital bank and dating app by 2024, part of a sweeping transformation that could change how users engage with the platform.

He’s not alone in this race. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also building a “super app” through his side project, World, which recently launched an app store and biometric ID system called Orbs.

What you should know 

With 600 million monthly active users as of October 2024, Musk’s X holds a considerable lead but retaining that user base is critical.

The rollout of XChat could help the platform move beyond just being a public town square and into users’ everyday digital routines.

Last year, X unveiled plans to roll out a peer-to-peer payment system on the platform, saying it would unlock more user utility and new opportunities for commerce.

  • The company said this would also showcase the power of the platform users living their “life in one place.
  • Reports have indicated that as of December 2023, X was licensed for payment processing in a dozen U.S. states, and by this January, that number stands at 14, with the recent additions of Arkansas and Pennsylvania.
  • Musk had earlier said that he envisions a platform where users will be able to send money to others and extract those funds to authenticated bank accounts.

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Bill Gates predicts Lagos will become world’s largest city

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Bill Gates

Microsoft Co-Founder, Bill Gates has expressed optimism about Africa’s future, predicting that Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, will become the world’s largest city.

Gates described the city’s projected growth as a reflection of Africa’s rising global relevance in the 21st century.

Speaking at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos, Gates stated the continent’s demographic advantage, calling Africa the “most fascinating” region of the century due to its youthful population.

“Africa is a very young continent,” Gates said. “More than half of all children born this century will be African. That youthfulness will shape global trends in profound ways.”

Highlighting Lagos as a prime example of Africa’s urban expansion, Gates noted: “The city we’re in today will, by far, be the largest in the world. That’s going to make for a dynamic and vibrant environment, and the world will be watching.”

Gates cautioned that Africa’s potential will be determined by the investments made in the near term, particularly in health and education.

“Whether this young population drives transformative progress will depend on the choices we make in the next 20 years,” he said. “If we invest wisely, Africa’s future is nothing short of extraordinary.”

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