Elon Musk said SpaceX has shifted its primary focus toward building a self-growing city on the Moon, marking a notable change in the company’s long-term space exploration strategy.
The plan, which Musk said could be achieved in less than a decade, places lunar development ahead of his long-stated ambition to establish a city on Mars.
Musk wrote on his X social media platform that SpaceX still intends to begin work on Mars within five to seven years, but that the Moon now represents a faster path toward broader goals.
His comments follow reports that SpaceX has informed investors it will prioritize lunar missions, targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed Moon landing.
Musk described the shift as a matter of urgency, saying, “the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster.”
He later added that a lunar city could potentially be achieved in under ten years, while Mars development would take significantly longer.
The move reflects a recalibration of timelines that Musk has revised repeatedly over the past decade, including more recent statements aiming for an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026.
SpaceX’s lunar emphasis also comes as the United States faces intensifying competition from China to return humans to the Moon, where no crewed landing has occurred since 1972.
Even as strategic priorities shift, SpaceX’s financial foundation remains largely commercial rather than governmental.
Musk said NASA will account for less than 5 percent of SpaceX’s revenue this year, despite the company holding a $4 billion contract under NASA’s Artemis program.
“The vast majority of SpaceX revenue is the commercial Starlink system,” Musk wrote in response to a user.
Earlier this month, Musk announced that SpaceX acquired xAI, an artificial intelligence company he also leads, in a deal valuing SpaceX at $1 trillion.
Supporters of the acquisition say it could support Musk’s vision for space-based data centers, which he has described as more energy efficient.
SpaceX is also exploring a potential public offering later this year that could raise up to $50 billion.