Elon Musk has announced a strategic shift at SpaceX, redirecting the company’s focus from Mars to the Moon. In a post on X on Sunday, Musk stated that SpaceX will now prioritize establishing a "self-growing city" on the lunar surface, citing faster launch opportunities and quicker iteration cycles compared to Mars missions. "SpaceX is shifting focus from Mars to the Moon," Musk wrote. "It is only possible to travel to Mars when the planets align every 26 months (six-month trip time), whereas we can launch to the Moon every 10 days (two-day trip time). This means we can iterate much faster to complete a Moon city than a Mars city." This marks a significant reversal from Musk’s earlier ambitions. In 2020, he expressed confidence that SpaceX would land humans on Mars by 2026, even suggesting an uncrewed mission could launch within two years. However, the company has repeatedly delayed major projects due to technical complexity and regulatory hurdles. Just last week, SpaceX pushed back the Artemis 2 mission—the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years—highlighting the challenges of advancing human spaceflight. Despite the shift, Musk emphasized that Mars remains part of the long-term vision. He stated that building a city on Mars will still happen, but not until five to seven years from now. "But the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster," he wrote. Musk also shared broader plans for integration across his companies. Last week, he announced SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI, his artificial intelligence company behind the Grok chatbot. The move, he said, would create "the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth," combining AI, rocketry, space-based internet, direct-to-device communications, and what he described as the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform. Under the new strategy, Musk envisions self-sustaining lunar bases and factories capable of growing over time. He also reiterated his long-term goal of establishing "an entire civilization on Mars," but now sees the Moon as the essential first step in building the infrastructure and experience needed for interplanetary survival.