Putin aide reveals proposal for Musk’s planned Mars mission

Moscow is prepared to contribute a compact nuclear power station and “other advanced technologies” to support Elon Musk’s future Mars mission, according to President Vladimir Putin’s special economic representative Kirill Dmitriev.

Dmitriev, who has taken on the role of chief economic envoy in recent US-Russia talks, first floated the idea of a joint mission to Mars in mid-March. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum on Thursday, Dmitriev said Moscow could offer various technological capabilities for long-duration missions to the Red Planet.

“Russia can offer a small-scale nuclear power station for the Mars mission, along with other advanced technologies,” Dmitriev told RIA Novosti. “We believe that Russia has a lot to offer the Mars mission, because we possess nuclear technologies that, I think, could be applicable.”

Dmitriev previously highlighted the potential role of the national nuclear energy giant Rosatom and the space agency Roscosmos in enhancing the safety and efficiency of deep space missions. He also noted that 2025 would be a symbolic year to announce such an initiative, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project — the first crewed international space mission, jointly carried out by the US and the Soviet Union in July 1975.

The SpaceX CEO has not yet publicly responded to the proposal, though Dmitriev reiterated that he was open to holding a videoconference with Musk to explore potential cooperation.

The renewed outreach comes amid signs of improving relations between Moscow and Washington. Dmitriev was part of the Russian delegation at recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in an agreement to begin restoring diplomatic and scientific cooperation across several sectors.

President Vladimir Putin has also noted that in his communications with President Donald Trump, the two sides had “agreed to work together in space.”

Putin has voiced support for cooperation with Musk, signaling high-level backing for potential joint projects. Speaking at the Forum of Future Technologies in February, the president said Russian companies should be ready to collaborate with Musk once he shifts his focus back to science from his current role advising on US government reform.

Earlier this month, Musk reaffirmed his goal to launch the first uncrewed Mars mission as early as 2026, with human landings possibly beginning in 2029. A prototype Starship carrying a Tesla-developed humanoid robot is expected to be part of the initial test phase.