• SpaceX shifts focus to building first “self‑growing” city on the moon
• Elon Musk acquires xAI to boost space-based data centers and computing efficiency

Elon Musk revealed that SpaceX has redirected its efforts toward creating a self‑growing city on the Moon, a project he believes could be completed in under ten years.

He described this move as the fastest way to secure humanity’s future compared to his long-term plans for colonizing Mars.

Musk added on X that the company still aims to realize his long-standing dream of a city on Mars within five to seven years, but emphasized that the immediate priority is the Moon “to safeguard the future of civilization.”

His statements align with a report by The Wall Street Journal, noting that SpaceX informed investors it would prioritize lunar missions, with a Mars trip planned for later. The company is targeting an uncrewed Moon landing by March 2027.

Previously, Musk had planned an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026. He also noted that competition with China for returning humans to the Moon this decade is intensifying, especially as no human has set foot on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Recently, Musk announced SpaceX’s acquisition of his artificial intelligence company xAI in a $250 billion deal to support more efficient space-based data centers, amid growing demand for computing and AI development.

The company is also preparing a public offering that could raise up to $50 billion this year, potentially the largest IPO in history.

Responding to a user, Musk stated that NASA revenue will account for less than 5% of SpaceX’s total income, despite being a major contractor in the Artemis program with a $4 billion contract to land astronauts on the Moon using Starship. “The vast majority of SpaceX revenue comes from the commercial Starlink system,” he added.

Musk released SpaceX’s first Super Bowl ad to promote its Starlink satellite internet service.

At the same time, he continues to push Tesla in a new direction, planning to spend $20 billion this year to accelerate the shift toward autonomous vehicles and robotics. Last month, he said Tesla will halt production of two car models at its California factory to make space for manufacturing its Optimus humanoid robots.