SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk revealed intriguing information about what his space transport company plans to do after becoming the first to land people on Mars. That historic landing on Mars by astronauts aboard the company's Mars Colonial Transporter will happen in 2025, said Musk.

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After that landing, the key task facing SpaceX will be to establish a supply lifeline to ensure the survival of the company's Martian colonists. This undertaking will involve establishing a regular cargo run to Mars, with colonists and cargo making the six to eight month journey aboard the company's Falcon Heavy rockets still under development.

"Essentially what we're saying is we're establishing a cargo route to Mars," Musk said.

"It's a regular cargo route. You can count on it. It's going happen every 26 months. Like a train leaving the station.

"And if scientists around the world know that they can count on that, and it's going to be inexpensive, relatively speaking compared to anything in the past, then they will plan accordingly and come up with a lot of great experiments."

SpaceX was founded by Musk in 2002 with the ultimate aim of colonizing Mars. Musk at various times has said establishing a Martian colony is his ultimate objective, and "always has been."

In late 2012, Musk revealed the breathtaking scope of his Martian ambition: establishing a colony of 80,000 humans on Mars. That should make Mars the New Earth.

But before this far future goal is achieved, SpaceX has to get its first steps right. By 2020, at least two Falcon Heavy rockets and Dragon spacecraft, loaded with experiments will be sent to the Red Planet. By 2022, Musk plans to first fly its Mars Colonial Transporter designed to bring people for the SpaceX colony.

From 2018 when SpaceX plans to first land its Red Dragon spacecraft on Mars until 2022, SpaceX said unmanned flights by Falcon Heavy will carry science experiments and rovers to Mars. These pioneering flights will allow SpaceX to better understand interplanetary navigation and allow it to test its ability to safely land spacecraft on Mars.

These flights will make the trip every two years when the Earth and Mars are at their closest. If all goes well, the first human landing on Mars will take place in 2025, Musk said.

NASA intends to land its astronauts on Mars in 2035.

TagsMars, SpaceX, Elon Musk, Mars Colonial Transporter