Elon Musk pivots to the Moon ahead of NASA's Artemis II mission

SpaceX's Elon Musk tweeted that the company is focusing on building a self-growing lunar city that he said could be completed in under 10 years while Mars would take longer; NASA's Artemis II crewed lunar flight was postponed after a wet dress rehearsal and now has a possible launch window in early March–April 2026.

Elon Musk announced via social media that SpaceX is shifting near-term focus toward building a self-growing city on the Moon and said the lunar project could be achieved faster than a Mars city. He framed the Moon as having more frequent launch opportunities and shorter transit times, which he argued enables quicker iteration. This shift comes as NASA prepares Artemis II, its first crewed lunar flight since Apollo, and as several companies pursue lunar orbital stations and permanent bases. Government plans reported include a goal to place a nuclear fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030. Key reported details: - SpaceX stated it has shifted focus to building a self-growing lunar city and estimated that a Moon city could be achieved in less than 10 years while a Mars city would take 20+ years. - Musk noted that Mars travel depends on planetary alignment every 26 months with about a six-month transit, while Moon launches can be much more frequent, with about a two-day trip time. - He said SpaceX still intends to work on a Mars city and estimated beginning that effort in about 5 to 7 years, while prioritizing the Moon in the nearer term. - Artemis II was postponed after an SLS wet dress rehearsal and is now cited as having a possible launch window in early March–April 2026; the mission will send the Orion spacecraft on a roughly 10-day trip to lunar orbit and back with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. - U.S. government and NASA plans reported include establishing a nuclear fission reactor on the lunar regolith by 2030, and private firms are pursuing commercial lunar projects such as orbital stations and hotels. Summary: The reported pivot highlights differing timelines and priorities between private-sector plans and government programs for lunar development and future Mars missions. Artemis II's revised launch window and NASA's longer-term reactor goal mean both public and private activities are continuing on separate schedules, and SpaceX has signaled a nearer-term focus on the Moon while leaving Mars work for a later phase.