Key Points:
- SpaceX will prioritize building a “self-growing city” on the Moon.
- Musk claims a lunar city is achievable in less than 10 years.
- The company targets March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing.
- Mars plans are still active, but will start in five to seven years.
Elon Musk has officially changed his space priorities. On Sunday, the billionaire announced that SpaceX will focus on building a “self-growing city” on the Moon before putting all its energy into Mars. He believes his company can achieve this ambitious goal in less than 10 years.
Musk explained his reasoning in a post on X. While he still plans to colonize the Red Planet, he argues that the Moon is a faster way to protect civilization. “SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years,” Musk wrote. However, he made it clear that the immediate path forward points to the lunar surface because it is closer and faster to reach.
This announcement confirms what insiders were already suspecting. On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX told its investors to expect a pivot. The company is now targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed landing on the Moon. This timeline adjusts his previous claim from last year, where he hoped to send a ship to Mars by the end of 2026.
The pressure is on to move quickly. The United States is currently locked in a fierce competition with China. Both nations want to return astronauts to the Moon this decade. It has been over 50 years since the final U.S. Apollo mission in 1972, and the race to establish a permanent base is heating up. Musk seems to realize that establishing a foothold on the Moon is a necessary step before making the long leap to Mars.
This strategic shift happens right as Musk consolidates his business empire. SpaceX recently agreed to acquire xAI, its artificial intelligence company. This massive deal values SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion.
Experts believe this merger is not a coincidence. Building a self-sustaining city in space will likely require advanced artificial intelligence and robotics to handle construction and maintenance. By bringing his rocket and AI teams under one roof, Musk is gathering the tools he needs to make lunar colonization a reality. For now, Mars will have to wait its turn while SpaceX sets its sights on our nearest neighbor.
