Photo: expert
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX has shifted its near-term priorities from colonizing Mars to building what he calls a “self-sustaining city on the Moon,” citing the lunar objective as faster and more achievable. In a post on X, Musk stated that the company could complete this project in less than 10 years, compared to over 20 years for Mars.
This marks a significant pivot for the aerospace company, as Musk highlighted that the logistics of a first lunar settlement are simpler due to launch windows and the Moon’s proximity to Earth. The SpaceX founder, known for his optimistic predictions that often miss their targets, had previously stated in 2017 that a Mars base would be ready for initial settlers by 2024.
In follow-up posts, Musk suggested that Mars missions would begin “in five or six years,” running in parallel with the Moon project, though the Moon will remain the initial focus. He also indicated that a crewed flight to Mars could occur by 2031.
Earlier, Musk had described the Moon as a “distraction” compared to Mars. This came in response to space industry analyst Peter Haig, who noted that lunar regolith—the material on the Moon’s surface—contains about 45% oxygen. In 2023, NASA confirmed that this oxygen could be extracted, potentially saving significant payload costs compared to transporting liquid oxygen from Earth to Mars.
NASA’s Artemis missions, for which SpaceX is a contractor on certain stages, aim to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028. The upcoming Artemis II mission, during which astronauts will orbit the Moon before returning to Earth, is scheduled to launch in March this year.
