In a move that once again blurs the line between science fiction and science reality, Elon Musk has publicly shared new details about his long-term vision for humanity’s future on Mars. Speaking during a livestreamed Q&A hosted by SpaceX over the weekend, the billionaire entrepreneur painted an ambitious—and at times surreal—picture of what life on the Red Planet could look like by the end of the century.

Musk, who has been vocal about his desire to make humans a “multi-planetary species,” described a future Martian settlement with self-sustaining cities, massive solar farms, underground habitats, and even “glass domes where people can walk around in normal clothes.” His ultimate goal? To create a civilization of one million people on Mars by the year 2100.

“Earth is beautiful, but fragile,” Musk said during the stream. “We need a backup—an insurance policy for life itself. Mars is the next great step.”

Key to Musk’s vision is Starship, SpaceX’s fully reusable rocket system, which he claims will eventually make interplanetary travel as “routine as a commercial flight.” He reiterated plans for uncrewed cargo missions to Mars as early as the late 2020s, with crewed flights potentially following soon after.

Though some critics view Musk’s Mars ambitions as idealistic or even distracting from Earth’s more urgent crises, others are inspired by the scale and scope of the dream. Astrophysicist Dr. Leila Zamora commented, “It may not happen on Musk’s timeline, but he’s forcing governments and scientists to think bigger—and faster.”

In the livestream, Musk also touched on the psychological and social aspects of Martian life, proposing that early settlers would need to be “pioneers in the truest sense”—prepared for hardship, risk, and long-term isolation. Still, he emphasized that the goal isn’t just survival, but eventually “thriving.”

“A city on Mars won’t just be about escaping Earth,” Musk said. “It’ll be about building something fundamentally new—a chance to reimagine society from the ground up.”

Whether or not Musk’s vision becomes reality in our lifetimes, one thing is clear: he’s not backing down. And with every rocket launch and public statement, he’s keeping Mars in the conversation—not as a distant dream, but as a destination.