SpaceX Mars Missions: How They Plan to Colonize Mars

SpaceX's Mars Colony Vision
SpaceX aims to help establish a 1-million-person Mars colony by developing a cost-effective way to get large number of settlers to the Red Planet. (Image credit: SpaceX)

On Sept. 27, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk unveiled the company's plan to start a 1-million person colony on Mars. Main story: SpaceX's Elon Musk Unveils Interplanetary Spaceship to Colonize Mars

That plan centers on the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), which would consist of a superpowerful reusable rocket and a spaceship capable of ferrying at least 100 people to the Red Planet per flight.

Learn all about the ITS and SpaceX's off-Earth ambitions in our complete coverage below:

Videos

SpaceX's Massive New Spaceship Could Go Beyond Mars

Fly-Through SpaceX's Massive 'Fun' Spaceship To Mars and Beyond

SpaceX to Mars: Awe-Inspiring Video Shows Vision for Red Planet Exploration

Multimedia

SpaceX's Interplanetary Transport System for Mars Colonization in Images

Full Story Coverage

Friday, Sept. 30

The 5 Most Bizarre 'Questions' Elon Musk was Asked After His Mars Talk
When you announce an intergalactic spaceship that you intend to name Heart of Gold in homage to Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," you deserve to be subjected to a little Vogon poetry from the audience.

Thursday, Sept. 29

Feasible or Fantasy? SpaceX's Mars Plan Draws Expert Reactions 
How feasible is Elon Musk's plan to get hundreds of people to Mars? Some experts critiqued the technical details, while others said the time line is unrealistic.

SpaceX's Mars Colony Plan: By the Numbers
Here's a look at SpaceX's proposed interplanetary spaceship and Mars-colonizing plans, by the numbers.

Wednesday, Sept. 28

SpaceX's Mars Spaceship Could Explore the Entire Solar System, Elon Musk Says
The spaceship that SpaceX is building to colonize Mars could also take people out to Jupiter's ocean-harboring moon Europa and beyond, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said.

Elon Musk Plans to Name 1st Mars Colony Ship 'Heart of Gold' in Sci-Fi Nod
SpaceX plans to name the first of its many Mars-colonizing ships after "Heart of Gold," a spaceship in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by the late lamented Douglas Adams, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said.

Tuesday, Sept. 27

SpaceX's Elon Musk Unveils Interplanetary Spaceship to Colonize Mars
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the company's Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), which will combine the most powerful rocket ever built with a spaceship designed to carry at least 100 people to the Red Planet.

Breathtaking Video Shows How SpaceX Will Send People to Mars
A breathtaking new video vividly illustrates how the private spaceflight company SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, would like to send humans to Mars.

Monday, Sept. 26

Elon Musk Unveils SpaceX Raptor Engine Test for Interplanetary Transport
 On Sept. 25, SpaceX's Raptor interplanetary transport engine fired for the first time, according to a series of tweets from the company's CEO, Elon Musk.

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.