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F2Pool founder who controls 11% of bitcoin’s hashrate to lead first SpaceX mission to Mars
Chun Wang, the first Mission Commander for SpaceX’s first commercial spaceflight to Mars, is crucial for the future transport of millions of tons of cargo and a million citizens to the Red Planet.
May 22, 2026, 7:47 p.m. 2 min read
What to know:
- ChunWang, a Chinese-born Maltese-Kittitian crypto investor and co-founder of F2Pool, has been named mission commander for SpaceX’s first commercial human spaceflight interplanetary mission to Mars.
- The two-year mission, targeted for launch in 2026, will include a circumlunar flyby, a high-altitude Mars flyby and a complex return trajectory, testing SpaceX’s new Starship V3 architecture and deep-space operations.
- Data from the mission, including biomedical telemetry and hardware performance, is intended to underpin Elon Musk’s plans for rapid Starship reuse and the eventual transport of massive cargo and up to a million people to Mars, as SpaceX pursues a record-breaking IPO and discloses significant bitcoin holdings.
The SpaceX announcement comes as the company owner Elon Musk’s aggressive plans to colonize the Red Planet and establish a multi-planetary civilization continue to accelerate.
A two-year trek into the unknown
The ambitious, multi-phase timeline will take Wang on a a week-long circumlunar fly-by within approximately 125 miles of the moon’s surface alongside Dennis and Akiko Tito before launching on the historic Martian trajectory.
Target launch windows are currently driving technical preparations for a planned 2026 departure. Once launched, the crew will spend two consecutive years in space. The deep-space itinerary includes a full external exploration of the Earth-Moon system, a high-altitude fly-by of Mars, and a complex return trajectory back to Earth.
