Answer · confidence: partial

Which Mars projects are being built now, and which are only on paper?

Research question: What Mars-bound hardware or crew programs are being built right now, and which exist only as paper plans?

The records show that the Starship-Super Heavy vehicle is in active flight operation, with the FAA authorizing up to 25 annual launches at Boca Chica ¹⁷, but the records do not tie it to a Mars crew program ²⁰. Curiosity is an operating rover on Mars ⁸, and Tianwen-1 is described as ongoing ¹². Tianwen-3 was in its preliminary prototype development phase as of March 2026 ¹³. The Russian Ekspeditsia-M mission, planned from 2027, and a crewed Mars mission listed for 2033 both have unconfirmed status and remain plans rather than built hardware ³⁶. Von Braun's 1948 Mars plan and its 1952 book are paper designs only ¹⁴. The newest fact is dated 14 October 2026, so the picture is current to within about two weeks ¹⁴¹⁷, but the evidence is only partial because it does not establish a crewed Mars vehicle in build today.

Checked 2026-10-18. Only documented and supported facts are used.

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Sources

[1] supported

The Mars Project is a non-fiction book by Wernher von Braun that contains technical specifications for a crewed expedition to Mars, making it a paper plan rather than built hardware.

"Realmente contiene especificaciones técnicas para una expedición tripulada a Marte"

The Mars Project

[2] supported

Mars analog habitats include stations that are historical, existing, or only proposed.

"es una de varias estaciones de investigación históricas, existentes o propuestas diseñadas para simular el entorno físico y psicológico de una misión de exploración marciana"

Hábitat analógico de Marte

[3] supported

A Russian Ekspeditsia-M mission, which would include a lander and launcher, is listed as planned from 2027 with its status still to be confirmed.

"Ekspeditsia-M [ 29 ] A partir del 2027 Aterrizador y lanzador A confirmar"

Exploración de Marte

[4] supported

Von Braun wrote the Mars plan in 1948, and it was the first technically complete design for this type of expedition.

"Escrito por von Braun en 1948 y fue el primer "diseño técnicamente completo" para ese tipo de expediciones."

The Mars Project

[5] supported

The GEOS experiment operated during AMADEE24, a crewed simulated Mars mission in Armenia, where it focused on geologic survey work at a simulated Martian landing site.

"During the AMADEE24 mission in Armenia, the GEOS experiment focuses on geologic survey activities at the simulated Martian landing site."

The GEOS experiment onboard AMADEE24 crewed simulated mission to Mars (2025)

[6] supported

A crewed Mars mission is listed for 2033, with its status still to be confirmed, so it is a plan rather than built hardware.

"[ 30 ] 2033 Misión tripulada A confirmar"

Exploración de Marte

[7] supported

Mars analog habitats are inhabited by small volunteer teams and can operate under Mars-like conditions for periods from a few days to more than a year.

"Estos análogos están habitados por pequeños equipos de voluntarios y pueden operar en condiciones "similares a las de Marte" desde unos pocos días hasta más de un año."

Hábitat analógico de Marte

[8] supported

The Mars Science Laboratory, known as Curiosity, was launched on 26 November 2011 and is an operating rover on Mars.

"El 26 de noviembre de 2011 fue lanzada la Mars Science Laboratory (abreviada MSL), conocida como Curiosity."

Exploración de Marte

[9] supported

The book was translated from German by Henry J. White and first published in English by the University of Illinois Press in 1953.

"Traducido del original alemán por Henry J. White y publicado por primera vez en inglés por la Universidad de Illinois Press en 1953."

The Mars Project

[10] supported

The Mars Odyssey orbiter arrived in 2001 and discovered ice, which was seen as a potential water source for a future crewed mission to Mars.

"Descubre la existencia de hielo , lo que apoya la teoría de las grandes cantidades de agua en Marte y provoca entusiasmo al ser una fuente potencial del líquido elemento para una futura misión tripulada a Marte ."

Exploración de Marte

[11] supported

The Russian Phobos-Grunt probe, launched in 2011 toward Mars's moon Phobos, failed after orbiting Earth for some days because its electronics failed when it tried to start its journey to the destination.

"En 2011 se lanzó la sonda rusa Phobos-Grunt con destino al satélite de Marte Fobos, pero luego de orbitar la Tierra algunos días sus sistemas electrónicos fallaron al intentar ponerlo en camino a su destino."

Exploración de Marte

[12] supported

Tianwen-1 is an ongoing Chinese Mars exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration.

"天问一号（代号： TW-1 ）是中华人民共和国国家航天局正在进行的一项火星探测任务"

天问一号

[13] supported

As of March 2026, the Tianwen-3 spacecraft was in the preliminary (prototype) development phase, with plans to move to the formal production phase later that year.

"2026年3月，探测器研制处于初样研制阶段，并计划于本年度转入正样研制。"

天问三号

[14] documented

Starship-Super Heavy is a two-stage vehicle, with Super Heavy as the first stage (booster) and Starship as the second stage.

"Starship-Super Heavy is composed of two stages: Super Heavy is the first stage"

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), Open Public Scoping Period, and Hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Proposed SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Launch and Landing Operations at the Boca Chica Launch Site at Starbase, Texas and Expansion of Starship Landing and Expenditure Locations (Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration, 2026-10-14)

[15] supported

The Tianwen-1 orbiter entered orbit around Mars on 10 February 2021 after a roughly seven-month transfer from Earth.

"天问一号在地火转移轨道飞行约7个月後到达火星附近，在2021年2月10日完成火星捕获後进入环火轨道。"

天问一号

[16] supported

In May 2021 the chief designer of China's first Mars exploration mission said the key technologies for Mars sample return were not yet mature, and that about two to three years of advance key-technology research would come before engineering development could begin.

"火星采样返回任务的关键性技术在眼下还不成熟，下一步将将耗时约二至三年开展先期关键技术研究。"

天问三号

[17] supported

SpaceX is currently authorized by the FAA to conduct up to 25 annual Starship-Super Heavy launches and 50 total annual landings at the Boca Chica site, so the hardware is in active flight operation now.

"Currently, SpaceX is authorized by FAA to conduct up to 25 annual launches and 50 total annual landings (25 of the Starship and 25 of the Super Heavy) per year at the Boca Chica Launch Site at Starbase, TX."

[18] supported

The Zhurong rover landed on Mars in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, making China the third country to land a probe on Mars.

"天问一号所攜帶的「祝融號」火星车在火星乌托邦平原南部预选着陆区成功着陆"

天问一号

[19] supported

The proposed expansion to up to 456 annual launches and 912 annual landings is a proposal under environmental review, not yet approved; Phase 2 would be implemented within several years.

"This phase represents a mature program launching more than 100 times annually and would be implemented within several years."

[20] supported

SpaceX's expansion of Starship landing and expenditure locations is justified by the evolving needs of the Starship program and broader space exploration objectives, and the document itself does not describe any Mars-specific crewed program.

"SpaceX proposes to expand Starship landing and expenditure locations to support the evolving needs of the Starship program and broader space exploration objectives."