Newyork(The COW News Digital)Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has revealed a major shift in his long-standing vision for human space colonization. While Musk has for years advocated for establishing a human city on Mars, he now plans to focus on creating a permanent settlement on the Moon.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk announced that SpaceX has begun prioritizing the Moon as the site for humanity’s next off-world city. He stated that constructing a lunar city could be achieved in less than a decade, whereas building a similar settlement on Mars would require 20 years or more.
Musk highlighted the logistical advantages of the Moon over Mars. Unlike Mars, where human missions can only be launched once every 26 months when both planets align, missions to the Moon could be launched every ten days. This frequency would allow for faster construction, quicker delivery of supplies, and more sustainable long-term habitation.
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NASA is set to return humans to lunar orbit with its Artemis 2 mission in March 2026, marking more than five decades since astronauts last visited the Moon. Following that, the Artemis 3 mission is planned within two years, which will land astronauts on the lunar surface. Alongside NASA, several private companies are also exploring plans to establish lunar bases or stations in orbit, increasing global interest in Moon colonization.
Despite the pivot to the Moon, Musk emphasized that SpaceX’s Mars ambitions remain unchanged. Preparatory work for a Mars city is expected to begin within the next five to seven years, keeping the vision of a Martian settlement alive for the long term.
SpaceX’s decision to focus on the Moon reflects a strategic approach to human space colonization: developing infrastructure on the Moon first will provide valuable experience for more distant missions, reduce travel time, and allow for faster iteration on life-support and construction technologies in a real extraterrestrial environment.
Analysts suggest that Musk’s lunar city plan could transform space exploration, accelerate technological innovation, and inspire both commercial and governmental stakeholders to expand human presence beyond Earth. By establishing a city on the Moon, SpaceX aims to create a scalable blueprint for sustainable off-world habitats that can later be adapted for Mars and beyond.
With this announcement, the Moon is now poised to become the next frontier for human settlement, potentially reshaping humanity’s path in space exploration over the coming decade.
