SpaceX's stated goal is a self-sustaining city on Mars within this century. The initial missions would establish fuel production, habitat construction, and basic agriculture using Martian soil and CO2 atmosphere. A self-sustaining colony would need thousands of people and the ability to manufacture everything from medicine to spare parts locally.

Beyond Mars, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn beckon. Europa and Enceladus with their subsurface oceans are prime targets for robotic life-detection missions. Titan with its thick atmosphere and hydrocarbon lakes could support human outposts using its abundant chemical energy.