SpaceX prioritizing lunar 'self-growing city' over Mars project, Musk says

Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a "self‑growing city" on the moon, which could be achieved in less than 10 years.

SpaceX still intends to start on Musk's long-held ambition of a city on Mars within five to seven years, he wrote on his X social media platform, "but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster."

Musk's comments echo a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, which said SpaceX has told investors it would prioritize going to the moon and attempt a trip to Mars at a later time, targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing.

This marks a shift from Musk's long-standing focus on Mars as SpaceX's primary destination. As recently as last year, he said the company aimed to launch an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026.

"No, we're going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction," he said in January last year in response to a post on X.

Musk has a long record of setting ambitious timelines for projects such as electric vehicles and self-driving technology that have repeatedly failed to materialize on schedule.