Elon Musk has significantly shifted his focus from Mars to a new objective for SpaceX.
The tech mogul has long been open about his ambition to ‘occupy’ Mars, which is approximately 140 million miles away from Earth.
Driven by this passion, Musk established SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of transforming space technology, aiming to eventually colonize Mars and make humans a multi-planetary species.
Since its inception, SpaceX has become the first private entity to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and has even facilitated the return of stranded astronauts from there.
However, the aspiration to send humans to Mars appears to be a more distant goal than previously anticipated.
The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens.
These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years.
Flight rate will… https://t.co/ZuiM00dpe9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 7, 2024
In September 2024, Musk announced on X that the ‘first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens’.
He further stated: “If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in four years,” projecting a timeline around 2028.
Musk’s vision expanded further as he added: “Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years. Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically, on one planet.”
It appears that this future is more distant than previously thought, as Musk has now redirected SpaceX’s efforts towards the Moon.
On Sunday (February 8), he elaborated on this shift on X.
“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 Tesla CEO stated.
“The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars.
“It is only possible to travel to Mars when the planets align every 26 months (six month trip time), whereas we can launch to the Moon every 10 days (2 day trip time).
“This means we can iterate much faster to complete a Moon city than a Mars city.”
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
The logic is sound, though Musk hasn’t entirely abandoned his Mars colonization plans.
“That said, SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years, but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster,” he concluded. This sets a target for 2033 to realize his commitments. Mark your calendars for this ambitious endeavor.
Musk’s bold new direction comes as NASA prepares to send astronauts to the Moon for the first time in over five decades with the Artemis II mission, scheduled for an early March launch.
Although the mission has been delayed by adverse weather and a hydrogen leak, Musk’s assertions suggest that lunar missions could become more routine in the near future.
Stay tuned for more developments!