18.5%
Progress to Self-Sustaining Mars City
Key Mars Milestones Reached
Key Spaceflight & Surface Milestones
1976
Viking 1 First Successful Landing
First operational craft landed on Mars surface, providing initial atmospheric data.
2021
MOXIE Oxygen Extraction
Perseverance rover extracted breathable O₂ directly from Martian CO₂ atmosphere.
2026
Starship Flight 13 & Mechazilla Catch
SpaceX completes 13th Starship flight test, demonstrating booster catches, satellite deployment, and in-space Raptor reignitions prior to full orbital refueling trials.
3 Primary Pillars
1. Orbital Refueling
Transferring cryogenic propellant in LEO for Mars transfer burn.
2. Uncrewed Cargo Fleets
Pre-deploying solar arrays, water miners, and fuel synthesis reactors.
3. In-Situ Fuel Production
Sabatier reaction combining Martian CO₂ & subsurface water ice to produce CH₄ and O₂ propellant.