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Elon Musk Ties Mars Mission to US Election Outcome, Promises Starship Landing by 2026

Oct 13, 2024, 03:24 PM

Elon Musk has made several statements linking the success of his Mars mission to the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election. Musk assured Donald Trump that SpaceX would reach Mars before the end of Trump's administration if he is re-elected. He further emphasized that regulatory hurdles under a different administration could delay the mission significantly, potentially pushing the timeline to 2029 or even 2031. Musk specifically mentioned that Starship would land rockets on Mars in 2026 under Trump's administration. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently takes six months to approve launches, and there are specific launch windows every 26 months when Earth and Mars orbits align. Musk's statements suggest that the election could have a significant impact on the timeline for humanity's first manned mission to Mars, citing overregulation as a major obstacle.