Elon Musk Proposes Lunar City Within 10 Years
Alexis Thornton
YesterdayElon Musk has long championed Mars as humanity's next great frontier, but the billionaire founder of SpaceX is now turning his attention a little closer to home. Musk recently announced plans to build a self-sustaining city on the moon, a significant shift from his previous stance that the moon was not worth visiting in favor of the Red Planet. Analysts say the change reflects a more practical look at what is actually achievable in the near term.
Why the Moon, and Why Now?
In a post on social media platform X last month, Musk made his case in straightforward terms. He wrote that building a city on the moon is possible within 10 years, while the same effort on Mars would take more than 20. The reason comes down to distance. Mars only lines up favorably with Earth once every 26 months, and the journey itself takes roughly six months. The moon, by contrast, is within reach every 10 days and can be accessed in about two days of travel time. That kind of accessibility changes the entire equation for construction, resupply, and long-term planning.
Musk said SpaceX plans to use its next-generation Starship rocket to deliver cargo to the lunar surface, with the goal of establishing both scientific research facilities and production bases there.