Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX is focusing on creating a 'self-growing city' on the Moon, which could be completed in less than 10 years, while construction on Mars will take over 20 years.
Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, has made a significant announcement regarding the future of human settlements in space. Musk stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that SpaceX's primary mission remains the expansion of human life to the stars. To achieve this, the company is prioritizing the construction of a 'self-growing city' on the Moon, which he believes can be established in under a decade. The project aims to leverage automation and robotics to create infrastructure that will sustain human life on the lunar surface.
Musk elaborated on the practicalities of space travel, highlighting that trips to the Moon are feasible every ten days, allowing for a much more rapid development of infrastructure compared to Mars, which can only be accessed approximately every 26 months with a journey time of about six months. While the Moon is seen as the first step for human colonization, Musk indicated that efforts on Mars would begin within five to seven years, emphasizing that lunar habitation is currently the priority for SpaceX.
The concept of a 'self-growing city' revolves around automated systems and robots that will construct the initial habitats, which are expected to feature dome-like structures powered by solar energy. Musk's vision is not only ambitious but also reflects a larger goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species, starting with establishing a foothold on the Moon before moving to Mars.
