Elon Musk, the billionaire behind SpaceX, recently shifted his focus from colonizing Mars to constructing a permanent city on the Moon. Initially, Musk had ambitious plans for an unmanned mission to Mars by the end of 2023, and aimed to establish a Martian city within seven years. However, due to the overwhelming difficulties and skepticism from experts regarding the feasibility of such a project, he has decided it may be more practical to start with the Moon.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Musk stated that while Mars is still a long-term goal for his company, immediate resources and efforts will now be directed towards building a "self-growing" lunar base. This shift highlights a more pragmatic approach to SpaceX's space exploration goals, as the Moon is significantly closer and offers more immediate logistical advantages for establishing a permanent human presence.

The shift in focus to the Moon underscores Musk's commitment to securing human civilization across different celestial bodies. By prioritizing a lunar base, Musk aims to lay the groundwork for potential future missions to Mars, while contributing to the international conversation about sustainable habitation beyond Earth. This change could lead to new partnerships and collaborations in space exploration, potentially impacting various sectors including science, technology, and international relations, as nations and private enterprises work together to create a viable lunar presence.