# SpaceX Plans 2026 Mars Landings as NASA, ESA, and Japan Accelerate Red Planet Exploration

Listeners, exciting developments in Mars exploration have unfolded over the past week, pushing humanity closer to the Red Planet. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on X that uncrewed Starship missions will launch to Mars in 2026 during the optimal October-to-December transfer window, testing intact landings, with crewed flights potentially following in 2028 if successful, as reported by Space.com.

NASA is also advancing key Mars plans. Administrators Bill Nelson and Nicky Fox revealed on Tuesday that a decision on the Mars Sample Return mission—aiming to bring back 28 sample tubes collected by the Perseverance rover from Jezero Crater—will come no earlier than mid-2026, weighing two cost-cutting options: a NASA-led sky crane lander at $6.6 to $7.7 billion or a commercial partner approach at $5.8 to $7.1 billion, both targeting returns by 2035-2039, according to Astronomy.com. These redesigned plans include radioisotope generators for reliable power through dust storms, slashing complexity from the original $11 billion over-budget scheme.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency is rethinking its Mars strategy amid budget constraints. Director General Josef Aschbacher stated ESA may repurpose its Earth Return Orbiter for a new atmospheric mission instead of full Sample Return involvement, prioritizing the 2028 Rosalind Franklin rover launch, as detailed by Aerospace America.

Japan's JAXA eyes 2026 for the Martian Moons eXploration mission to sample Phobos, per NASASpaceflight.com previews. These steps build momentum toward sustainable Mars presence.

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