Elon Musk says SpaceX prioritizing the moon, pivots away from his Mars settlement ambition
CNN22 hrs
SpaceX Shifts Focus to Establishing Moon City Within 10 Years
Should we prioritize lunar settlement for faster progress or is Mars colonization worth the decades-long wait?
Above: The SpaceX logo on a smartphone screen placed on a reflective surface in Creteil on Feb. 3. Image credit: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Musk's pivot from Mars to Moon is merely swapping one billionaire delusion for another. Both destinations remain hostile wastelands. Private space fantasies ignore history's lesson: exploration requires governments' patient capital and long-term vision, not venture capitalists demanding quarterly returns. SpaceX belongs ferrying cargo, not pioneering frontiers it fundamentally cannot afford to lead.
Narrative B
Shifting focus to lunar settlement represents smart strategy over fantasy — launch windows every 10 days versus Mars' 26-month wait means faster iteration and real progress toward expanding civilization. A self-sustaining Moon city achievable in under 10 years beats waiting decades for Mars while still advancing the core mission of extending human consciousness beyond Earth.