Elon Musk announced on Sunday, February 8, 2026, that SpaceX has fundamentally shifted its long-term space exploration priorities. The company is now focusing on building a "self-growing city" on the Moon, moving away from its previous emphasis on Mars colonization. Musk stated this lunar goal could be achieved in under 10 years, whereas a Mars mission would take 20+ years.
The overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster, Musk wrote on his X platform. He explained the strategic rationale: lunar missions offer faster and more frequent launch opportunities. Mars launch windows only open approximately once every 26 months, while Moon missions have shorter travel times and more flexible schedules, enabling rapid iteration.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, SpaceX has informed investors of this new focus. The company is now targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing. This marks a change from Musk's previous statements, which had aimed for an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026. Mars missions are now delayed to five to seven years out.
SpaceX holds a $4 billion NASA contract for the Artemis moon program, which involves using the Starship spacecraft to land astronauts on the lunar surface. However, Musk noted that NASA will represent less than 5% of SpaceX's revenue this year, with the "vast majority" coming from the commercial Starlink satellite internet business.
The shift occurs amid a renewed space race, with the U.S. and China competing to return humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. SpaceX's plans support broader ambitions, including space-based data centers following its acquisition of Musk's xAI, and a potential public offering later this year that could raise up to $50 billion.
