SpaceX founder Elon Musk said today that his Starship spacecraft is slated to launch to Mars in late 2026, carrying Tesla‘s humanoid robot Optimus, and estimated that if all goes well, humans could follow three to five years later.

“Starship departs for Mars late next year, carrying Optimus. If these landings go well, then human landings could begin as early as 2029, although 2031 seems more likely,” said multi-billionaire SpaceX founder and close adviser to US President Donald Trump in a message on social media X.