SpaceX's Starship rocket, set to embark on a mission to Mars next year, will be accompanied by Tesla's (TSLA.US) humanoid robot, the Tesla Bot.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that the Starship rocket will embark on a journey to Mars by the end of 2026. Interestingly, he also stated that the Starship will transport Tesla's (TSLA.US) humanoid robot, Optimus, along with it on this planned mission. Musk indicated that humans could potentially land on Mars as early as 2029, but 2031 seems more likely. Earlier this month, SpaceX faced a setback when a Starship prototype exploded during a test flight over the Bahamas. However, the booster successfully completed a capture maneuver during the same test. The first generation of Optimus humanoid robots are already in use at Tesla factories, performing routine and repetitive tasks. This version is intended for internal use and testing. The second generation of Optimus robots is expected to be released later this year, incorporating lessons learned from the first deployment. Tesla has made it clear that the goal is to produce thousands of Optimus robots, with a more ambitious plan to achieve 10,000 units by the end of the year. Optimus is designed to perform monotonous and repetitive tasks, such as assembly line work. It has the ability to navigate and execute commands autonomously without specialized training, and can adapt to various environments. The robot is not only used in factory industrial scenes and warehouses but also has potential for home use. After mass production, the price of Optimus humanoid robots is expected to fall below $20,000.