SpaceX, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has set an ambitious goal to “leave Earth” within two years, a timeline Musk reiterated during a Starship update in early 2025. The primary driver behind this urgency is SpaceX’s mission to establish a self-sustaining human colony on Mars, which Musk views as essential for ensuring the long-term survival of humanity. He has long argued that becoming a multi-planetary species is critical to mitigating existential risks—such as nuclear war, climate collapse, or an asteroid impact—that could render Earth uninhabitable. In a recent X post, Musk emphasized that the window to achieve this goal is narrowing, citing geopolitical tensions and the accelerating pace of environmental degradation as reasons to expedite the timeline. With Starship’s reusable design now achieving regular successful launches—five orbital flights in 2024 alone—SpaceX believes it’s on the cusp of making crewed Mars missions a reality by 2027.
 

Beyond survival, SpaceX’s push to leave Earth in two years is fueled by Musk’s vision of a new era of space exploration that could redefine humanity’s future. The company aims to send an uncrewed Starship to Mars in 2026 to test landing and resource utilization technologies, such as producing methane fuel from Martian water and CO2, a process critical for return trips. This mission would pave the way for the first crewed mission in 2027, aligning with Musk’s stated timeline. SpaceX’s broader plans include deploying a fleet of Starships to transport thousands of settlers, along with the infrastructure needed to build a city on Mars. Musk has also tied this goal to economic incentives, projecting that a Martian economy could eventually generate trillions of dollars through resource extraction and interplanetary trade, a vision he believes will attract private investment and government support despite skepticism about the timeline’s feasibility.
 

However, this aggressive schedule is also a response to competitive pressures and SpaceX’s desire to maintain its lead in the space race. With NASA’s Artemis program facing delays and China advancing its own lunar and Mars ambitions—aiming for a crewed lunar landing by 2030—SpaceX sees a strategic opportunity to cement its dominance by achieving a Mars landing first. Musk has also expressed frustration with regulatory hurdles on Earth, such as environmental reviews that have slowed Starship launches, and views Mars as a “clean slate” for innovation free from bureaucratic constraints. Critics argue that the two-year timeline is overly optimistic, pointing to unresolved challenges like radiation protection for astronauts and the psychological toll of long-duration spaceflight. Yet, SpaceX’s rapid progress—coupled with Musk’s relentless drive—suggests that the company is serious about leaving Earth, even if the path to Mars remains fraught with uncertainty.