The SpaceX CEO has said a lunar settlement could be built within a decade, as the global powers race for Earth’s only natural satellite
US tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced plans to build a “self-growing city” on the Moon, placing the project ahead of his long-stated ambitions to reach Mars.
In recent years, SpaceX has focused on developing spacecraft capable of reaching the Red Planet, with Musk previously saying that the first uncrewed Starship mission to Mars could launch as early as late 2026.
However, in a post on his social media platform X on Sunday, Musk said the company has “already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon,” arguing that the project could be achieved in fewer than ten years, while a comparable settlement on Mars would take more than two decades.
“The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars,” Musk wrote.
According to him, missions to Mars are only possible when the planets align, roughly every 26 months, and require a six-month journey, whereas launches to the Moon can take place about every ten days with a travel time of roughly two days. This, he said, would allow for the faster iteration and development of a lunar settlement.
SpaceX is prioritizing lunar missions and targeting an uncrewed Starship landing in around 2027, the WSJ reported last week, citing sources. The spacecraft is also being developed for NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade.
Musk said the company has not abandoned its ambitions regarding Mars and “will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about five to seven years,” describing the Moon as the faster option for “securing the future of civilization.”
The entrepreneur has repeatedly spoken about colonizing Mars as part of a broader effort to ensure humanity’s survival in the event of a global catastrophe, previously suggesting the planet could eventually become “part of America.”
The announcement comes as the major powers push for a permanent presence on the Moon. China and Russia are developing a joint International Lunar Research Station. Moscow plans to establish a nuclear-powered facility by around 2036 to support the base.
Astronauts have not visited the Moon since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
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