Elon Musk has once again stirred the space community. The founder of SpaceX announced a strategic shift in colonization plans: the company is now focusing on creating a self-sustaining city on the Moon, which could appear in less than 10 years. Building a city on Mars has been pushed to the background, though it remains a long-term goal.

Why the Moon Comes Before Mars

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk explained the logic with simple numbers: “It is only possible to travel to Mars when the planets align every 26 months (six month trip time), whereas we can launch to the Moon every 10 days (2 day trip time).” Launch windows to Mars open once every 26 months, and the journey takes about six months. To the Moon, launches are possible every 10 days, with a flight time of just two days.

This creates a huge advantage: frequent flights allow faster delivery of cargo, equipment, people, and materials. According to Musk, a lunar city could become reality in less than a decade, while a Martian city would require more than 20 years. “The overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster,” he emphasized.

SpaceX has already shifted its focus to the Moon, but Mars is not canceled: “SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years.” The first steps toward a Martian settlement are planned in roughly five to seven years.

Context: Returning to the Moon as a Stepping Stone

Musk’s statement echoes his recent comment about the need for a large-scale return to the Moon. He reacted to a post with a collage showing the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 and Neil Armstrong on the Moon in 1969, only 66 years apart. Musk wrote: “It’s time for a big return to the Moon.”

This aligns with NASA’s Artemis program. On February 3, 2026, the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed lunar flyby, was postponed to March due to a hydrogen leak during SLS fueling. In January, the agency completed preparations of Orion and SLS for the mission. Four astronauts are set to fly around the Moon for ten days to test systems ahead of the Artemis III landing.

SpaceX plays a key role in Artemis: Starship is intended to serve as the lunar lander for Artemis III. A lunar city built by SpaceX could become the next step, acting as an intermediate base for further exploration of the Solar System.

How Realistic Are These Plans?

Musk’s ambitions often run ahead of reality, but the increasing frequency of Starship launches, already dozens of test flights, and contracts with NASA make the lunar scenario more achievable within the next 10 years. Mars remains the ultimate goal, extending consciousness and life beyond Earth, as Musk has repeatedly stated, but now with a clear intermediate station.

In Brief

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX has shifted its priority from Mars to the Moon and plans to build a self-sustaining city on Earth’s satellite in less than 10 years. The reason is the ability to launch frequently, every 10 days with a two-day flight, compared to Mars launch windows once every 26 months and a six-month journey. Work toward Mars will begin in five to seven years, but building a city there will take more than 20 years. This is part of a strategy to more quickly secure the future of civilization beyond Earth, alongside NASA’s Artemis program.