Starship has already shown significant progress with a prototype completing a hypersonic return to Earth and landing in the Indian Ocean in June 2024, marking a major breakthrough after three failed attempts.

The FAA must be reauthorized every 5 years, and its last authorization expired on September 30, 2023, which could lead to regulatory uncertainty affecting SpaceX's Mars mission timeline.

SpaceX has a history of ambitious timelines, such as Elon Musk's claim that uncrewed Starship rockets could be sent to Mars by 2026, with a crewed expedition in 2028, which suggests potential for delays given the complexity of such missions.

SpaceX must build 1,000 Starships in 10 years to reach its Mars goal, but so far, 0 Starships have made it to space.