Private Companies Competing to Colonise Mars, A New Space Race

By Innocent Eneta

The quest to explore and colonise Mars is no longer confined to government space agencies. A new space race has emerged, led by private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, whose ambitions to make humanity an interplanetary species have captured the world’s imagination. With cutting-edge technological advancements and bold visions, these companies are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, but the challenges of space colonisation remain immense.

At the forefront of this race is SpaceX, the brainchild of entrepreneur Elon Musk. SpaceX’s ambition to send humans to Mars within the next decade has taken tangible shape with the development of its Starship rocket, a fully reusable spacecraft designed for deep space missions. Musk has been vocal about his vision, stating, “We need to become a multiplanetary species to ensure the survival of humanity.” The Starship, which is capable of carrying up to 100 passengers, is intended to be the vehicle that will transport the first colonists to Mars.

However, the journey to Mars is not without its difficulties. The challenges of long-duration space travel, exposure to cosmic radiation, and the lack of life-sustaining infrastructure on Mars are significant hurdles. While SpaceX has made impressive strides in rocket reusability and orbital launches, the task of ensuring human survival on the Red Planet remains daunting. Musk himself has acknowledged that the first Mars missions will be fraught with danger, cautioning that “it’s going to be hard, and people might die initially.”

In the opposite corner of the race is Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Blue Origin’s goal is to enable millions of people to live and work in space, with a longer-term focus on building space habitats and industrialising space. Bezos envisions a future where heavy industries are moved off Earth and into space to preserve the planet’s fragile ecosystems. “We need to take all heavy industry, all polluting industry, and move it into space. Earth is the best planet. Let’s not ruin it,” he said at a Blue Origin event.

While Bezos is not as aggressively focused on Mars as Musk, Blue Origin’s development of the New Glenn rocket, a reusable heavy-lift vehicle, is seen as a key component in making space colonisation a reality. Blue Origin is also exploring technologies that would enable the establishment of self-sustaining space colonies, although their approach is more cautious compared to SpaceX’s rapid timetable for Mars missions.

Despite the technological advancements by these private space companies, the question of who will ultimately win the race to colonise Mars remains open. Both companies have achieved significant milestones, yet both face similar technical and logistical challenges. SpaceX’s Starship is still in its testing phase, with several high-profile failures before it can be certified for human space travel. Similarly, Blue Origin’s New Glenn has yet to launch its first orbital mission.

Experts agree that the private sector’s involvement in space exploration has accelerated progress. Dr. Laura Forczyk, a space policy analyst, remarked, “The competition between companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin is driving innovation and reducing costs, which is essential for making space colonisation viable.” She also pointed out that collaboration with government space agencies such as NASA and the European Space Agency remains crucial. “The role of public-private partnerships cannot be overstated. Governments bring decades of experience, while private companies bring fresh ideas and agility.”

However, space colonisation is not just a technological challenge—it also poses ethical and legal questions. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which forms the basis of international space law, prohibits any nation from claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies. Yet, as private companies prepare to establish permanent settlements on Mars, the question of governance and ownership is becoming increasingly pertinent. “We are entering uncharted territory,” said Professor Joanne Gabrynowicz, an expert in space law. “Who has the right to govern these new colonies? What laws will apply? These are issues that the international community must address before we send humans to Mars.”

As SpaceX and Blue Origin continue to push the envelope of space exploration, the dream of colonising Mars edges closer to reality. Yet, with the myriad challenges that lie ahead, the journey to Mars may be more complex than anyone can predict. What is certain, however, is that the new space race has ignited a renewed sense of possibility for humanity’s future beyond Earth. As Dr. Forczyk aptly noted, “The race to colonise Mars is not just about who gets there first—it’s about whether we can make space a sustainable frontier for future generations.”

This is no ordinary race, it is a race for the future of humanity itself.