Elon Musk has shifted SpaceX’s near-term focus from Mars colonization to building a permanent lunar settlement, a major pivot from the company’s long-standing Mars-first mission.
In a Feb. 8 post on X, Musk outlined plans to establish what he calls a “self-growing city” on the moon within the next decade, i.e., a timeline that puts lunar development ahead of Mars for the first time in SpaceX’s history. He wrote:
For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years.
The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2026
For years, Mars has been SpaceX’s headline goal: the potential second home for humanity and the reason the company exists. But now, Musk says the moon offers a faster, more practical path forward. Lunar missions can launch every 10 days with two-day travel times.
Mars? Launch windows only open every 26 months, with six-month journeys each way. This frequency advantage means SpaceX can iterate and validate technologies far faster on lunar projects than on Mars missions. Engineers can test, fail, learn, and try again, all within weeks instead of years.
While the idea of settling on the moon is relatively new, SpaceX has actually been gearing up for a crewed lunar mission for about five years now. Back in April 2021, NASA revealed that it had chosen Starship to be the first crewed lander for its Artemis program. This ambitious initiative aims to create a lasting human presence on and around the moon by around 2030.
The moon’s proximity also provides a crucial safety net. Earth is always visible, reachable within days if something goes wrong. Mars offers no such backup. Mastering these technologies on the moon could significantly reduce risks when SpaceX eventually turns toward Mars. The moon also aligns with broader momentum across the space sector. Government agencies and private companies increasingly see lunar infrastructure as essential preparation for deep space exploration, a proving ground where failures are recoverable and supply lines remain viable.
A lunar outpost gives SpaceX and partners the chance to tackle closed-loop life support systems, resource extraction, and habitat construction in a relatively forgiving environment. The moon, it turns out, is the classroom where humanity learns before attempting the ultimate test on Mars.
