The USA Leaders
February 09, 2026
SpaceX will focus on building a SpaceX Lunar City within the next decade, Elon Musk said Sunday, marking a strategic shift away from his long-held goal of reaching Mars first.
“The overriding priority is securing the future of civilization, and the Moon is faster,” Musk wrote on his X social media platform. He said SpaceX could complete a self-growing lunar city in less than 10 years.
Musk added that SpaceX still plans to pursue a city on Mars within five to seven years but now views the Moon as the more immediate objective.
Investor Briefings Signal Near-Term Lunar Missions
Musk’s comments follow a Wall Street Journal report that said SpaceX told investors it would prioritize lunar missions and delay a Mars trip. The report said SpaceX plans to attempt an uncrewed lunar landing in March 2027.
As recently as last year, Musk said SpaceX aimed to launch an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026.
U.S. and China Race to Return Humans to the Moon
The renewed focus on a SpaceX Lunar City comes as the United States faces growing competition from China in the race to return humans to the Moon this decade.
Humans last visited the lunar surface in 1972 during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. Since then, no nation has established a permanent presence on the Moon.
NASA Role Shrinks as Commercial Revenue Grows
SpaceX remains a core contractor in NASA’s Artemis program and holds a $4 billion contract to land astronauts on the Moon using its Starship rocket.
On Monday, Musk said NASA would make up less than 5% of SpaceX’s revenue this year.
“The vast majority of SpaceX revenue is the commercial Starlink system,” Musk wrote in response to a user on X.
SpaceX aired its first Super Bowl advertisement on Sunday to promote Starlink’s satellite internet service.
AI and Space Infrastructure Plans Expand
Less than a week ago, Musk announced that SpaceX acquired artificial intelligence company xAI, which he also leads. The deal valued SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion.
Supporters of the acquisition say the move supports SpaceX’s plans for space-based data centers. Musk has said orbital data centers could operate more efficiently than Earth-based facilities as demand for AI computing power increases.
Potential IPO Could Fund Lunar Expansion
SpaceX is considering a public offering later this year that could raise up to $50 billion, according to reports. Analysts say the offering could become the largest initial public offering in history.
A successful IPO could provide significant capital to accelerate the development of a SpaceX Lunar City and related infrastructure.
Musk Pushes Automation Across Companies
While SpaceX refocuses on the Moon, Musk is also reshaping Tesla’s strategy. Tesla plans to spend $20 billion this year to accelerate the development of autonomous driving systems and humanoid robots.
Last month, Musk said Tesla would stop producing two vehicle models at its California factory to make room for manufacturing its Optimus humanoid robots.
Moon Emerges as Testing Ground for Humanity’s Future
The shift toward a SpaceX Lunar City reflects Musk’s broader strategy to use the Moon as a proving ground for advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and off-world infrastructure.
With lunar missions closer, cheaper, and faster than Mars, SpaceX now positions the Moon as the next major step in human space settlement.
Neha Shekhawat
Also Read – SpaceX Crew-10 Launch Postponed: Sunita Williams’ ISS Return Delayed Again
