China-born Maltese-born crypto investor Chun Wang, who co-founded F2Pool, has been named mission commander for SpaceX’s first commercial human spaceflight interplanetary mission to Mars, which is key to Elon Musk’s plan to send one million people to the Red Planet.
Wang, whose mining pools control approximately 11.3% of the global Bitcoin network hashrate and whose personal Bitcoin wealth is estimated at more than $300 million, will take two years off from his current role securing the digital ledgers to lead humanity’s next frontier in deep space.
SpaceX’s announcement comes as company owner Elon Musk’s aggressive plans to colonize the Red Planet and establish a multi-planetary civilization continue to accelerate.
two years journey into the unknown
The ambitious, multi-phase timeline will take Wang on a week-long perihelion flight with Dennis and Akiko Teito to within about 125 miles of the moon’s surface before launching them on a historic Mars trajectory.
The target launch window is currently undergoing technical preparation for a planned 2026 departure. Once launched, the crew will spend two consecutive years in space. The deep space travel program includes a complete outer exploration of the Earth-Moon system, a high-altitude flight to Mars, and a complex return trajectory to Earth.
Navigating deep space risks
Operating in deep space for 24 months poses serious operational risks, including severe hardware fatigue and the unstable thermodynamics of managing cryogenic fuel during extended coasts in deep space.
To mitigate these threats, SpaceX is introducing its next-generation Starship V3 architecture. The advanced vehicle features vacuum-jacketed header feed lines, high-voltage cryogenic recirculation system and 60 integrated custom avionics units capable of handling distributed fault isolation up to 9MW peak power.
The crew will face serious biomedical hazards while collecting vital diagnostic telemetry. One of the key tasks of Wang’s team is to perform advanced behavioral health tracking and capture human X-ray images for the first time in microgravity to evaluate long-term physical decline.
The path to a multi-planetary future
Wang’s mission is designed to provide the critical operational data needed to transform Mars exploration from short-term novelties to permanent, self-sustaining habitats.
The data crew is expected to return to Earth to directly stress-test the starship’s autonomous navigation matrix, deep-space radiation shielding, and in-space propellant transfer mechanism.
The SpaceX team’s findings will be critical to achieving Musk’s ultimate objective: confirming rapid vehicle reusability and validating the logistics baseline needed to safely transport millions of tons of cargo and ultimately one million citizens to the Martian surface.
The announcement of the trip to Mars comes as satellite and space rocket company SpaceX confidentially filed for its initial public offering, aiming for a valuation of more than $1.75 trillion, the largest in history. Musk’s company has officially disclosed its Bitcoin holdings for the first time, totaling 8,285 BTC.