Thursday 04 June 2026 06:59 EDT Bookmark Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Elon Musk’s SpaceX has put its mission to colonise Mars at the centre of its record-setting plans to go public, aiming to establish a self-sustaining colony of “at least one million inhabitants” on the Red Planet. In an unusual opening statement for its updated initial public offering (IPO) filing, which was shared on Wednesday, SpaceX said its mission is “to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary”. The IPO filing includes a suggested share price of $135 (£100), which would make it the largest public sale in history. The filing values the private space firm at around $1.75 trillion, with the IPO set to make Musk the world’s first trillionaire. Trading on the Nasdaq stock index is expected to begin on 12 June. Musk will achieve trillionaire status depending on SpaceX’s achievement of certain milestones, according to the filing, which includes the “establishment of a permanent human colony on Mars with at least one million inhabitants”. The filing stated: “By moving beyond the only home we have ever known, we ensure species-level redundancy and that the light of consciousness will not be tied to a single planet subject to the inevitable hazards of a harsh and vast universe. “We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs... We believe the next paradigm shift for humanity is the creation of a resilient, perpetually expanding spacefaring civilisation that drives continuous innovation across new frontiers.” Key to achieving this goal will be the viability of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which is yet to be proven as a reliable launch vehicle. Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, and is being developed to ferry crew and cargo throughout the Solar System. SpaceX has already secured a multi-billion dollar contract with Nasa to use Starship for its Artemis program, which is aiming to return humans to the Moon’s surface by 2028. This date, which has already been pushed back from an original target of 2024, could face further delays following recent setbacks with Starship testing.