Boeing CEO Says They’ll Beat SpaceX to Mars, Musk Replies ‘Do it’

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told CNBC that his company will beat SpaceX to Mars.

Host Jim Cramer asked if it would be Muilenburg or Musk who would “get a man on Mars first.”

“Eventually we’re going to go to Mars and I firmly believe the first person that sets foot on Mars will get there on a Boeing rocket,” Muilenburg responded.

As news of the segment received coverage, Musk retweeted a Fortune headline that read “Boeing CEO: We’re Going to Beat Elon Musk to Mars.” Musk added, “Do it.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/938816780444745728

The Fortune story offers some of Muilenburg’s comments to CNBC regarding Boeing’s effort to reach Mars.

“We’re working on that next generation rocket right now with our NASA customers called ‘Space Launch System,’” Muilenburg said. “This is a rocket that’s about 36 stories tall, we’re in the final assembly right now, down near New Orleans. And we’re going to take a first test flight in 2019 and we’re going to do a slingshot mission around the moon.”

Musk said in September that SpaceX is in the process of overhauling its fleet of space vehicles to focus on a new Interplanetary Transport System, codenamed the BFR (Big F-ing Rocket).

The company will start building the first BFR ship in 2018, and Musk “feels confident” they can launch the first human mission to Mars in about five years.

Photo: Boeing

 

[Grendal]

Did the KSC visitors center thing last week. SLS is the rocket that’s going to launch us into the future.

On a marginally related note, I was happy to see that blue origin built it’s facility within eyeshot of every arriving carload of KSC visitors.

Since they're spending billions on SLS (because Congress makes them) it makes sense to repeat the party line. What else are they going to say?

 

[Mike1080i]

Did the KSC visitors center thing last week. SLS is the rocket that’s going to launch us into the future.

They might be saying that for a long time to come. I remember taking the tour of JSC years ago and the guide talking about the X-38 CRV. I had to lean over and tell my friend that was with me that it had already been cancelled.

 

[Grendal]

This statement hasn't done so well. Boeing hasn't even gotten people to the ISS yet.

 

[ecarfan]

This statement hasn't done so well. Boeing hasn't even gotten people to the ISS yet.

True. But to be fair, both companies are far behind their proclaimed schedules.

The Fortune story offers some of Muilenburg’s comments to CNBC regarding Boeing’s effort to reach Mars.

“We’re working on that next generation rocket right now with our NASA customers called ‘Space Launch System,’” Muilenburg said. “This is a rocket that’s about 36 stories tall, we’re in the final assembly right now, down near New Orleans. And we’re going to take a first test flight in 2019 and we’re going to do a slingshot mission around the moon.”

Musk said in September that SpaceX is in the process of overhauling its fleet of space vehicles to focus on a new Interplanetary Transport System, codenamed the BFR (Big F-ing Rocket).

The company will start building the first BFR ship in 2018, and Musk “feels confident” they can launch the first human mission to Mars in about five years.

I agree (with your first post in this thread) that it is highly unlikely an SLS vehicle ever makes it to Mars. I anticipate that Starship will, but obviously not in 2023 like Elon predicted in 2018. Maybe mid 2025 with cargo and mid 2027 with humans. Maybe.

 

[ecarfan]

Revisiting this old thread from late 2017:

The Fortune story offers some of Muilenburg’s* comments to CNBC regarding Boeing’s effort to reach Mars. “We’re working on that next generation rocket right now with our NASA customers called ‘Space Launch System,’” Muilenburg said. “This is a rocket that’s about 36 stories tall, we’re in the final assembly right now, down near New Orleans. And we’re going to take a first test flight in 2019 and we’re going to do a slingshot mission around the moon.”

The Artemis 1 mission took place in November 2022, so late but not absurdly so. Costs were/are absurd.

Musk said in September that SpaceX is in the process of overhauling its fleet of space vehicles to focus on a new Interplanetary Transport System, codenamed the BFR (Big F-ing Rocket). The company will start building the first BFR ship in 2018, and Musk “feels confident” they can launch the first human mission to Mars in about five years.

Okay, so not even close. He didn’t say “land an uncrewed Starship on Mars” which would be hard enough. He wanted humans on Mars in 2023!

I anticipate that Starship will [get to Mars] but obviously not in 2023 like Elon predicted in 2018. Maybe mid 2025 with cargo and mid 2027 with humans. Maybe.

My prediction is not going to come true. But I might not be too far off for an uncrewed Starship. I can imagine SpaceX launching multiple uncrewed ships within two years just to test navigation and reentry techniques. Note: nice discussion of Mars transfer window frequency.

I cannot imagine crewed Mars Starships by 2027 or even 2028.

* Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg was fired in 2019 (unrelated to the SLS program).

 

[spacerfc]

He wanted humans on Mars in 2023!

He never said that. The TMC blog article is wrong.

What the fortune article actually said is:

Musk said he’s “confident” the plan will be under way within five years.

This was mistakenly interpreted to be the crewed flights will be under way in 5 years.

But if you look at Elon's 2017 presentation, at around 36:55, it's pretty clear he was talking about launching cargo to Mars in 2022 when he said "I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and be ready for a launch in about five years". And he started this part with "that's not a typo, although it is aspirational", so it's not even a prediction to begin with.