Cape Canaveral

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, recently shared exciting news for space lovers on his social media platform X. On Sunday, he revealed that SpaceX is now focusing on creating a “self-growing city” on the Moon. Musk said this project could be completed in less than ten years.

In his post, Musk explained that reaching Mars is more difficult because trips are only possible when the planets align every 26 months, taking about six months per journey. In contrast, launches to the Moon could happen every 10 days and take only two days to arrive. This faster schedule, he said, allows SpaceX to build a Moon city much more quickly than a Mars city.

Musk also emphasized that SpaceX’s main goal remains to extend human life and consciousness to the stars. He said the company would eventually work on a Mars city, aiming to start within five to seven years, but the Moon is the first priority due to its faster timeline.

The announcement supports a report from the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. According to the report, SpaceX informed investors that it is prioritizing the Moon before focusing on Mars.

Building a city on the Moon is not without competition. The United States faces significant challenges from China, which is also planning crewed lunar missions. The last human landing on the Moon was the U.S. Apollo mission in 1972, making these upcoming projects especially significant.

Musk’s bold vision for a self-growing Moon city highlights how private companies are increasingly leading space exploration. If successful, it could mark the start of a new era in human space settlement.