Elon-Musk-reveals-‘Terminus’-as-first-Mars-city-name,-confirms-Starship-launch-planElon Musk reveals ‘Terminus’ as first Mars city name, confirms Starship launch plan

 

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and senior advisor to the President of the United States of America, has finally revealed the name he sees for the first Martian city: Terminus. The name is taken from Isaac Asimov’s legendary Foundation series, which was confirmed by Musk in a recent post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It’s from Asimov’s Foundation. But I’m open to other ideas,” Musk wrote, adding that while Terminus is his current suggestion, the final decision will rest with future Martian settlers. 

“Ultimately, it will be up to the public of Mars to decide,” he said, leaving the door open for public input in shaping humanity’s first extraterrestrial society.

 

Starship to Depart for Mars with Robot Payload

 

When Musk shared the name, he also reaffirmed SpaceX’s aggressive Mars timeline. The initial uncrewed Starship mission to the Red Planet is due to launch by the end of next year. Onboard will be Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus, tasked with carrying out essential duties and collecting data necessary for human exploration.

These robotic landings are the fidt steps,” Musk stated. “If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.”

 

Human Missions Could Follow by 2029-31

 

If the robotic test flights are successful, human flights to Mars might start as early as the end of this decade. Musk has repeatedly stated that the ultimate long-term goal of SpaceX is to create a self-sustaining city on Mars, as part of his overall mission to help guarantee the survival of human civilisation.

The development of Starship is at the heart of that ambition. With the capability to carry cargo and crew, the spacecraft is indispensable to moving infrastructure, life support systems, and ultimately, humans to Mars.

 

Detours and Milestones for SpaceX

 

The upgrade takes place on the occasion of SpaceX’s 23rd birthday, which is commemorated on March 14. To celebrate the milestone, Musk doubled down on his dedication to “make life multi-planetary.”

The road isn’t without bumps, however. Starship detonated on its seventh test flight on March 6, marking its second failure. The incident serves to highlight the fact that SpaceX has to resolve several daunting engineering challenges before humans can safely make their way to Mars.

 

From Fiction to Reality

 

In unveiling ‘Terminus’ and charting a well-defined Mars mission plan, Elon Musk has again moved closer to making science fiction a reality. With the prospects of uncrewed missions looming and the vision of a Martian city in the making, the countdown to the next era of human history has started.