Musk aims to build a ‘self-growing city” on the Moon before settling Mars

Billionaire Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a “self‑growing city” on the moon, which could be achieved in less than 10 years, Reuters writes.

SpaceX still intends to start on Musk’s long-held ambition of a city on Mars within five to seven years, he wrote on his X social media platform, “but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster.”

SpaceX has informed investors of its plans to achieve an uncrewed lunar landing by March 2027, with the spacecraft set to touch down on the Moon without any astronauts onboard.

Musk’s announcement highlights the intense competition with China in lunar exploration, especially given that no humans have landed on the Moon since 1972.