NASA Veteran and Elon Musk Clash Over Mars Mission Timelines

José Hernández stresses a 15-year horizon for Mars travel, while Musk eyes a 2029 target despite SpaceX's technical challenges.

José Hernández, a former NASA astronaut, has stated that human travel to Mars is at least 15 years away due to unresolved technical hurdles.
Elon Musk has proposed an ambitious timeline, suggesting SpaceX could send humans to Mars as early as 2029, though he acknowledges 2031 may be more realistic.
Hernández advocates for retiring the International Space Station and redirecting funds to develop a lunar base as a necessary precursor to Mars exploration.
SpaceX's Starship program, central to both NASA's Artemis III lunar mission and Musk's Mars plans, has faced recent setbacks, including prototype failures.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after a nine-month mission on the International Space Station, marking a shift in NASA's focus toward future exploration goals.