Elon Musk's Latest Star Trek Speech Mentioned Making Starfleet Academy Real, Which Makes His Latest Comments About The Show Surprising

Just days before the debut of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on the 2026 TV schedule, billionaire Elon Musk evoked its name during a recent press conference. He's hoping humanity can "boldly go" where no man has gone before. Yet these sentiments make his recent comments about the upcoming series itself unexpected.

Musk was with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the SpaceX Starbase for a planned visit recently, and the two spoke about plans for the future and how the government and Musk's SpaceX could collaborate in the future. Musk seemed to summarize his goals as to make Star Trek a reality, suggesting he's a fan of the franchise. However, I'm not sure he'll be tuning in for the upcoming premiere with a Paramount+ subscription.

Elon Musk Discusses His Desire To Make Star Trek And Starfleet Academy Real

Musk took the stage before the Secretary of War and shared his hopes for what he hopes SpaceX can achieve the longer it exists. Here's the bit where he mentioned Star Trek, and his goal to take humanity into the far reaches of space, as the billionaire said (via Bloomberg):

Though he looks older in the best Star Trek movie of all time, First Contact, Zefram Cochrane was around 33 years old when he perfected human warp travel. Musk is 54, so he'll have to play catch-up if he's hoping the Vulcans will reveal themselves to the world once we prove we're capable of intergalactic travel.

Jokes aside, this isn't the first time Musk has mentioned Star Trek, as he's frequently expressed his wish to colonize Mars. Years ago, he even mentioned the strong possibility of losing lives in pursuit of the cause. As of this writing, no one has actually attempted that Mars mission. That said, could that happen if Starfleet Academy becomes a real thing?

Elon Musk Recently Mocked Star Trek: Starfleet Academy On X

Star Trek fans may be confused to hear Elon Musk champion the franchise, considering he recently gained the fandom's attention due to his comments about the upcoming Starfleet Academy series. The Tesla CEO shared a post on X, mocking the show, and added a comment that referred to the characters played by Gina Yashere and Holly Hunter:

Musk's comments seem to match the sentiments of those critical of Star Trek over the past few years. Some have criticized the modern representation and diversity of the franchise, claiming it rejects the premise of what the franchise stands for. Starfleet Academy, which is modeled to mirror the world young adults face today, has received such blowback. Fans specifically seem to be upset about it appearing to be a "teen drama" (as suggested by a poster) with a much younger cast compared to other Trek shows.

Perhaps Elon Musk will change his tone about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy once the series is out, as I enjoyed the first six episodes I received in advance. Of course, the Starfleet in the 32nd Century has a whole different set of problems than what we're currently dealing with when it comes to space travel. But, who knows, the show could end up being a good source of reference if or when when we ever catch up and potentially encounter other species. Maybe we should get started on developing replicators and other world-changing technology in the meantime.

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Catch the premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on Paramount+. Between the Essential plan running $7.99 a month and the ad-free Premium option at $12.99 a month, there's plenty to choose from with Paramount+. But if you want to watch your favorite shows and movies, and save some money doing so, sign up for an annual plan.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premieres on Paramount+ with a two-episode debut on Thursday, January 15th. I'm thrilled to see what the fandom at large thinks when the episodes are actually out, because I think this series may surprise a number of people.