Elon Musk has announced a major strategic pivot for SpaceX, prioritizing the construction of a self-growing city on the Moon over Mars settlement plans. In a post on X, Musk claimed the company could complete a lunar base in less than 10 years, while Mars would take over 20 years. This marks a significant departure from SpaceX's previous focus on direct Mars colonization.

Musk argues that lunar development offers practical advantages, including shorter launch windows and proximity to Earth. The SpaceX founder, known for overly optimistic timelines, previously predicted Mars settlement by 2024 but now suggests manned Mars flights might occur in 2031. He also stated that Mars development would begin in 5-6 years but would run parallel to lunar efforts, with the Moon remaining the initial focus.

This shift comes despite Musk's earlier dismissal of lunar missions as a "distraction" when compared to Mars ambitions. The change aligns with NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028, with SpaceX serving as a contractor for certain mission stages. The decision reflects growing recognition of the Moon's strategic value, including the potential to extract oxygen from lunar regolith, which could significantly reduce payload costs for deep space missions.

Quick Fact: Lunar regolith contains about 45 percent oxygen, which NASA proved could be extracted in 2023.