Originally Posted by
elephant
SpaceX does NOT have the capital needed for a mission to Mars. What they do have is the capability to send objects into LEO and GTO as well as resupply the ISS. Saturday, May 30th 2020, SpaceX will launch its first crewed mission to ISS using there Crew Dragon on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. However, SpaceX is not the only kid on the block with a fancy rocket. Lockheed Martin has the Athena, as well as Atlas series 400 and 500 is capable of reaching GTO, Boeing's Delta II series 7000 is capable of reaching GTO as well as Delta IV series can carry more weight. Both of which are under the umbrella of United Launch Alliance EELV program which has a partnership with NASA. Orbital ATK has the Antares which are modified Peacekeeper ICBM's. Northrop Grumman has Minotaur which are modified Minuteman ICBM's. And of coarse, Jeff Bezos with Blue Origins.
I like Elon Musk and I think he is this generations Howard Hughes, he has optimism on a "Walt Disney" level and he knows how to win people with his publicity stunts: like sending a Tesla into our solar system and building a mock up of Starship to get people hyped up. However, I think his ambitions are that of a typical billionaire. SpaceX is too young and too dependent on NASA and federal government to operate as a company with interplanetary ambitions.