<p><strong>SpaceX</strong> CEO <strong>Elon Musk</strong> has set an ambitious target of delivering 1 million tons of orbital payload in the future with the commercial space flight giant's Starship rocket.</p><h2>1 Million Per Year</h2><p>On Wednesday, user <strong>@xdNiBoR</strong> posted on the social media platform X, comparing the launch attempts made by SpaceX in comparison to those of other companies in the U.S., which showcased the number of attempts in favor of SpaceX. &#34;I can't wait to see how this graph looks in 5 years when Starship is operational,&#34; the user said.</p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I can't wait to see how this graph looks in 5 years when Starship is operational. pic.twitter.com/5pX9VWAr43</p>— Robin (@xdNiBoR) March 4, 2026</blockquote></div></figure><p>Responding to the user, Musk laid out an ambitious target for SpaceX once Starship becomes operational. &#34;&gt;1M tons/year of payload to orbit is the goal,&#34; he said in the response.</p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&gt;1M tons/year of payload to orbit is the goal</p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 4, 2026</blockquote></div></figure><h2>Starship Launches, SpaceX IPO</h2><p>Recently, Musk reaffirmed his belief in SpaceX's Starship rocket, outlining that in three years, the space flight company aims to launch the rocket every hour. The company has recently shifted its focus away from Mars and onto the Moon.</p><p>Musk also seemingly confirmed rumors of SpaceX targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation at its IPO, as the company also recently acquired Musk’s artificial intelligence startup <strong>xAI</strong>, with the combined SpaceX-xAI entity reaching a reported valuation of $1.25 trillion.</p><h2>NASA's SLS Pivot</h2><p>Meanwhile, NASA is reportedly pivoting away from <strong>Boeing Co.</strong>'s (NYSE:BA) Exploration Upper Stage component from the SLS Launch Vehicle for the Artemis Mission to the Moon in favor of Boeing and <strong>Lockheed Martin Corp</strong>'s (NYSE:LMT) Vulcan rocket’s Centaur V, built by the companies' joint venture <strong>United Launch Alliance</strong> (ULA).</p><p><em>Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by</em> following this link.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy: Shutterstock</em></p>

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<p>SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has set a goal of delivering over 1 million tons of payload to orbit annually with the Starship rocket. Musk aims for the rocket to be operational in three years, with plans for hourly launches. Additionally, SpaceX is reportedly targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation for its IPO, following the acquisition of Musk's AI startup xAI. Meanwhile, NASA is shifting its focus from Boeing's SLS to the Vulcan rocket for the Artemis Mission.</p>

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Elon Musk Sets Goal Of Over 1 Million Tons Of Payload To Orbit Per Year With Starship