SpaceX CEO Elon Musk declared on X that the company will prioritize building a self-growing city on the moon over reaching Mars. Musk claimed the lunar project could be achieved in under a decade due to shorter travel times, while Mars colonization would take 20 years or more. This strategic shift comes as SpaceX prepares for a potentially record-breaking $50 billion IPO that could value the firm at $1.5 trillion.

Musk emphasized SpaceX will still strive to build a Mars city starting in five to seven years. The announcement signals a pivot toward near-term lunar ambitions amid SpaceX's expansion into AI through its xAI acquisition and space-based data centers. Moon settlement SpaceX Elon Musk Mars lunar project xAI space-based data centers.