Winning Bizness Desk
Mumbai. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has announced a major shift in his space colonisation plans, saying the company is now focusing on building a self-growing city on the Moon before establishing a city on Mars. Musk said reaching and settling the Moon is far more achievable in the near term, while a Mars city would take more than two decades. He shared this update on February 9 through a post on X, underlining that SpaceX’s larger goal of expanding human life beyond Earth remains unchanged.
Why moon makes more sense than Mars now
Musk explained that the Moon offers a realistic and faster path for human settlement. According to him, SpaceX believes a self-growing lunar city can be achieved in less than 10 years. In contrast, building a permanent city on Mars would take over 20 years due to technological, logistical and orbital challenges. The shorter travel time and frequent launch opportunities to the Moon make it a more practical first step in humanity’s expansion into space.
Mission unchanged, destination adjusted
While the destination may have shifted, Musk stressed that SpaceX’s mission remains the same: to take life and consciousness to the stars. He pointed out that missions to Mars are constrained by planetary alignment, which happens roughly every 26 months, and the journey itself takes about six months. The Moon, however, can be reached far more easily and frequently, allowing faster learning and development.
Key reasons Musk cited for moon priority include:
- Rockets can be launched to the Moon every 10 days
- Travel time to the Moon is just about two days
- Faster missions allow rapid testing and expansion
- Lower risk compared to long-duration Mars travel
Mars still part of SpaceX roadmap
Despite the renewed focus on the Moon, Musk clarified that SpaceX has not abandoned its Mars ambitions. He said the company will continue working towards building a city on Mars and expects to begin initial efforts within the next seven years. For Musk, Mars remains central to the long-term survival of humanity, even if the Moon becomes the first testing ground for off-world urban life.
Mars as humanity’s insurance plan
Musk has repeatedly described Mars as a “Plan B” for humanity. He believes that establishing a self-sustaining settlement on another planet is essential to safeguard human existence in case of a catastrophic event on Earth. In his view, becoming a multi-planet species is not a luxury but a necessity for long-term survival.
NASA’s moon push and Musk’s past criticism
NASA, unlike SpaceX, has remained firmly focused on the Moon. The US space agency aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface by 2028 under its Artemis programme. This would mark the first human landing on the Moon since the Apollo missions ended in 1972. Musk has previously criticised this approach, calling the Artemis programme a distraction. Last year, he publicly stated that SpaceX should go directly to Mars and that the Moon was merely a diversion.
NASA in agreement with SpaceX
Ironically, NASA’s moon plans depend heavily on SpaceX. The agency has awarded SpaceX a contract worth 3 billion dollars, around Rs 27,000 crore, to develop a lunar lander for its Moon mission. The lander is currently in the testing phase and has faced multiple explosions during trials. SpaceX is expected to test a new prototype in March. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos-led Blue Origin is also developing a similar lunar lander, making it SpaceX’s main competitor in the race to return humans to the Moon.
