Elon Musk's Strategic Shift: SpaceX Abandons "2026 Mars Dream" to Build Cities on the Moon?

On February 9th, Elon Musk disclosed that SpaceX has made significant adjustments to its deep space colonization plans, shifting focus from Mars to building a “self-sustaining city” on the Moon. This statement contrasts sharply with his previous emphasis on achieving crewed landings on Mars by 2026 and has sparked widespread global attention on the “Moon city plan” and the “human space colonization route.”

Musk explained on SpaceX’s official blog that there are strict time window constraints for traveling to Mars: launches can only occur during planetary conjunctions every 26 months, with a one-way trip taking about 6 months; in contrast, trips to the Moon can be launched every 10 days, with a flight time of only 2 days. This difference means that, in terms of resource investment, construction pace, and personnel rotation, the Moon is more feasible and better suited for quickly establishing infrastructure.

Looking back at his previous statements, Musk publicly said in 2020 that if progress went smoothly, SpaceX could achieve crewed landings on Mars by 2026 and launch uncrewed probes in a shorter timeframe. However, progress has not been smooth. Last week, SpaceX delayed the Artemis II mission again, which is a key step in returning humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, highlighting the significant technical and regulatory uncertainties still facing space projects.

Despite this, Musk has not abandoned Mars. In his latest statement, he pointed out that a Martian city remains a long-term goal, with related construction expected to begin within five to seven years. However, from a strategic perspective, the Moon is now seen as a “faster landing pad for civilization,” with its priority clearly rising.

Additionally, Musk revealed that SpaceX will acquire AI company xAI. The company has developed the chatbot Grok and has integrated it with social platform X. Musk said this move will create a “highly vertically integrated innovation engine” covering artificial intelligence, rockets, satellite internet, and real-time information systems, providing a technological foundation for lunar bases and future space societies.

From Mars to the Moon, this route adjustment is not only a technological choice but also a rebalancing of pace and reality. Humanity’s first step toward interstellar civilization may no longer be the red planet, but a closer step—the Moon. (Business Insider)