Mars can wait: Elon Musk shifts focus to the Moon first. Here’s what changed

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk says his immediate priority is no longer Mars. Instead, the SpaceX founder wants to establish a human foothold on the Moon first, calling it a faster and safer way to protect life beyond Earth.

Musk clarified that plans to colonise Mars remain very much alive, but the timeline has shifted. Mars missions will begin in about five to six years and run alongside lunar efforts, with the Moon taking precedence in the early phase.

“The Moon will be the initial focus,” Musk wrote on X. He explained that a permanent presence there would create a backup for humanity in case Earth faces a natural or man-made catastrophe. He also noted that missions to Mars would continue to launch directly from Earth rather than via the Moon, since fuel resources on the Moon are limited.


According to Musk, building a Moon city could take less than a decade, while creating a self-sustaining city on Mars would likely require more than 20 years.

Mars dreams, still intact
Musk has long spoken about turning Mars into a second home for humanity. In April 2025, he even floated a name for the first Martian settlement — “Terminus.” Responding to a post on X, Musk said the name was inspired by Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, though he added that future Martian residents would ultimately decide what to call their city.

SpaceX’s long-term vision remains aggressive: launching between 1,000 and 2,000 spacecraft to Mars every two years to rapidly build a permanent, self-sustaining human colony.

How politics and NASA reshaped the roadmap
The change in emphasis appears to be driven partly by shifting priorities in Washington. Musk had earlier planned to send multiple Starship rockets to Mars in late 2026, taking advantage of a favourable Earth–Mars alignment. He reportedly even pitched the idea directly to then US President Donald Trump, arguing that a Mars landing would define his legacy.

However, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, pressure from NASA and US officials led SpaceX to recalibrate. The company has now aligned its plans with NASA’s Artemis program, targeting an uncrewed lunar landing by March 2027.

Moon as the money-maker
Musk has also linked the lunar push to newer business ambitions. Following SpaceX’s merger with his AI startup xAI, the company is exploring space-based AI data centres — projects Musk says could help fund future space settlements.

“The capabilities we unlock by making space-based data centers a reality will fund and enable self-growing bases on the Moon, an entire civilization on Mars, and ultimately expansion into the Universe,” Musk said.

For now, Mars remains the ultimate goal — but the road to the Red Planet, Musk believes, runs through the Moon.