Tesla’s CEO Projects Mars Spaceship Will Make Short Trips By 2019

Elon Musk, the CEO of electric vehicle making giant Tesla and SpaceX, has projected at the SXSW, that the Mars spaceship will be ready to make short trips by the first half of 2019.

Speaking at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas on Sunday, Musk said that SpaceX is on track to send the billionaire’s rocket on short trips to Mars by next year.

Musk’s privately-funded venture also has a goal of a cargo mission to Mars by the year 2022.

Musk has been vocal about the company’s main objective, which is to put a human colony on the red planet.
SpaceX’s ultimate objective is to plant the seeds to put a human colony on Mars.

Musk said to the audience at SXSW that “we are building the first Mars, or interplanetary ship, and I think we’ll be able to do short trips, flights by first half of next year.”

He did joke about his timelines and said “Although sometimes, my timelines are a little, you know…” as the audience laughed.

“The biggest thing that would be helpful is just general support and encouragement and goodwill,” Musk said. “I think once we build it we’ll have a point of proof something that other companies and countries can go and do. They certainly don’t think it’s possible, but if we do they’ll up their game.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and have not been compensated for this article.