Musk Claims UFOs Are Not Aliens: They Could Be A 'New Weapons Program'

The man who has staked his reputation—and billions of pounds—on turning humanity into an interplanetary species has a surprising secret: he doesn't believe in aliens. Elon Musk may be determined to colonise Mars, but when it comes to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) buzzing Earth's atmosphere, the world's richest man is convinced they have nothing to do with little green men and everything to do with weapons programmes right here on our planet.

This startling dichotomy—the audacious visionary versus the grounded sceptic—was laid bare during his recent appearance on Katie Miller's podcast, where he offered a definitive dismissal of extraterrestrial life visiting Earth. It's a claim that carries considerable weight, given that Musk is, arguably, the person most likely to be tipped off to any cosmic secrets, running the company responsible for more civilian space launches than anyone else.

'I have seen no evidence of aliens,' Musk told Miller, before addressing the notion that a major player like SpaceX might be withholding cosmic knowledge. He confirmed he had directly questioned his highest-level staff. 'No one on the SpaceX senior team has any evidence of aliens. Because I've asked the team, "Guys, am I missing something? Has anyone on the team – has anyone seen any evidence of aliens?"'

This is a promise the fifty-four-year-old billionaire has made before, explicitly stating during a previous interview with Joe Rogan that he is not part of some global celestial cover-up. If any evidence of non-human intelligence were to cross his desk, the public, he insists, would be the first to know.

'I was aware of any evidence of aliens, Joe, you have my word. I will come on your show, and I will reveal it on the show,' he had guaranteed the popular podcast host.

Yet, his dismissal of aliens pivots directly into a far more worrying theory when discussing the prevalence of UFO sightings. For Musk, these mysterious objects aren't vehicles from another star system, but rather terrestrial prototypes developed by governments right here on Earth, likely the US government. His assessment is cold, cynical, and centred firmly on national security, suggesting these are not interstellar explorers but rather advanced military hardware.

'UFOs... it could be like a new weapons programme... or hypersonic missiles. It's just basically a weapons prototype. It's not aliens.'

Elon Musk's Martian Dream: Is the Red Planet a One-Way Ticket?

While he is a sceptic of external threats, Musk remains committed to solving what he views as humanity's greatest existential weakness: having all our eggs in one planetary basket. The solution, he says, is Mars.

Despite the scepticism surrounding the ambitious timelines and technical challenges, Musk has consistently reiterated his goal to turn the Red Planet into a second home. Earlier this year, the entrepreneur claimed there would be a self-sustaining city on Mars in 20 years. He is targeting 2028 for the launch of an unmanned Starship mission, with a crewed flight likely to follow in 2030.

This timeline, however, is subject to the notoriously fluid realities of space engineering, a fact Musk himself acknowledged when discussing the possibility of putting his Optimus robot on the planet. Responding to an X user who asked about the schedule, the billionaire gave a highly detailed, if cautious, projection.

'Slight chance of Starship flight to Mars crewed by Optimus in Nov/Dec next year. A lot needs to go right for that. More likely, first flight without humans in ~3.5 years, next flight ~5.5 years with humans,' he wrote. Regardless of the slight shifts, the ultimate goal remains fixed: the creation of a Martian colony. He later affirmed that Mars will have a 'self-sustaining city in 20 to 30 years.'

Elon Musk's Vision: A Future of Brittle Bones and Freakish Colouring?

Musk's vision for planetary redundancy, however, comes with a terrifying potential consequence for the first generation of true Martians—a consequence that has been scrutinised by the scientific community. Biologist Scott Solomon has previously argued that human colonisation of Mars could 'kill humanity,' suggesting the living conditions would be so 'brutal' that they would spark rapid, catastrophic evolutionary changes.

In his book, Future Humans, the author predicted that children born to Mars settlers would endure drastic evolutionary changes, a process that could result in them developing 'brittle bones,' 'weaker muscles,' and a 'freakishly green colouring' due to the unforgiving combination of low gravity and high radiation. Other predicted mutations include an inevitable change in skin colour and a resulting loss of eyesight.

Musk's refusal to accept the possibility of advanced alien life visiting Earth stands in stark contrast to his readiness to embrace a future where our own species mutates beyond recognition. It presents a high-stakes, deeply compelling choice: to remain on Earth, facing the perceived dangers of covert government weapons programmes, or to flee to Mars, and risk turning into something entirely new.

The future, according to Elon Musk, holds no little green men, only the terrifying spectre of clandestine, hyper-advanced weaponry on Earth, or a biological mutation lottery on Mars. As humanity stands on the cusp of an interstellar jump, the real question is not if we will survive, but what we will become.