SpaceX Shifts Focus to Moon: Elon Musk Prioritises ‘Self-Growing City’ Over Mars

SpaceX has recalibrated its long-term space exploration roadmap, placing the Moon ahead of Mars in its quest to secure humanity’s future beyond Earth. Elon Musk has now revealed plans to build a “self-growing city” on the Moon within a decade, citing speed, strategic urgency, and geopolitical competition as key drivers behind the shift.

SpaceX Prioritises Lunar ‘Self-Growing City’ Over Mars

Elon Musk announced on Sunday (February 8) that SpaceX has decided to prioritise the development of a “self-growing city” on the Moon, a milestone he believes could be achieved in less than 10 years.

While the company has not abandoned its long-standing ambition of establishing a human settlement on Mars, Musk clarified that timelines have changed. Writing on his social media platform X, he said SpaceX still plans to begin work on a Martian city within five to seven years, “but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilisation and the Moon is faster.”

Moon First, Mars Later: Strategic Shift Explained

Musk’s comments align with a recent Wall Street Journal report, which revealed that SpaceX has informed investors about its intention to prioritise lunar missions before attempting Mars exploration. According to the report, SpaceX is now targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing.

This marks a change from Musk’s earlier position. As recently as last year, he had stated that an uncrewed Mars mission could launch by the end of 2026.

Rising US–China Competition in Lunar Exploration

The renewed emphasis on the Moon comes amid growing global competition. The United States is facing increasing pressure from China, which has accelerated its own lunar ambitions and aims to return humans to the Moon within this decade.

Notably, humans have not visited the Moon since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972, making lunar exploration a renewed strategic and symbolic priority for spacefaring nations.

SpaceX, xAI Merger and IPO Plans

SpaceX Acquires xAI in Landmark Deal

Less than a week before the announcement, Musk revealed that SpaceX acquired artificial intelligence company xAI, which he also leads. The deal reportedly values SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion.

Supporters of the move believe it could strengthen SpaceX’s plans for space-based data centres, which Musk has previously described as more energy-efficient than terrestrial facilities, especially as AI-driven demand for computing power continues to surge.

Historic IPO on the Horizon

SpaceX is also reportedly preparing for a public offering later this year, which could raise as much as $50 billion. If successful, this would rank as the largest IPO in history, further reshaping the global technology and aerospace landscape.

Earlier on Sunday, Musk also shared SpaceX’s first Super Bowl advertisement, promoting its Starlink satellite Wi-Fi service, highlighting the company’s expanding commercial ambitions alongside its space exploration goals.

Tesla and Robotics: Musk’s Parallel Push

Even as SpaceX undergoes a strategic realignment, Musk is simultaneously reshaping Tesla’s future.

After playing a pivotal role in building the global electric vehicle market, Tesla is now planning to invest $20 billion this year to accelerate its transition toward autonomous driving technology and robotics.

To fast-track this shift, Musk announced last month that Tesla would end production of two car models at its California factory, freeing up manufacturing capacity for the production of Optimus humanoid robots.

Why the Moon Matters More—For Now

Securing the Future of Civilisation

Musk’s renewed focus on the Moon reflects a broader strategy aimed at ensuring the long-term survival of civilisation. Compared to Mars, the Moon offers closer proximity, shorter mission durations, and faster logistical scaling—factors that make it a more immediate stepping stone for sustainable off-world habitation.

Conclusion

SpaceX’s decision to prioritise a “self-growing city” on the Moon marks a strategic recalibration rather than a retreat from its long-term Mars ambitions. By focusing on the Moon—closer, faster to reach, and geopolitically critical—Elon Musk is positioning SpaceX to secure near-term milestones that strengthen humanity’s foothold beyond Earth while laying the groundwork for deeper space exploration. Coupled with the acquisition of xAI, plans for a potentially historic IPO, and parallel investments across Starlink and Tesla’s robotics push, the shift underscores a broader vision of technological convergence. If executed as outlined, SpaceX’s lunar-first approach could redefine global space leadership and accelerate the path toward a resilient, multi-planet future.