Elon Musk changes Space X 'Million-person city' Mars mission and sets sights on new target
Elon Musk has shelved his dreams of building his million-person city on Mars in favour of colonising another place in space.
Sending humans to live on Mars has been a dream of Musk's since 2001, with the Tesla founder making it one of SpaceX's founding principles a year later.
He would later unveil his grand plan to begin building a self-sustaining colony on Mars back in 2016 and eyed up the first human mission to the red planet taking place in 2024 (per Fortune).
However, 2024 has come and gone, and Musk is yet to successfully get a SpaceX ship - manned or unmanned - to Mars, with 2028 being the next optimal time for travel between the two planets.
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So it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that Musk has shelved his ambition in favour of something a little closer to home.
Which is, building a million-person self-sustaining colony on the Moon instead.
Confirming the decision in an X post earlier this week, the 54-year-old wrote: "For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years."
Musk went on to explain that while his SpaceX founding principles remain the same, 'extend consciousness and life' to the stars, starting with the moon, is more practical for the company.
"It is only possible to travel to Mars when the planets align every 26 months (six month trip time)," he continued, referencing the so-called Earth-Mars transfer window, before adding: "Whereas we can launch to the Moon every 10 days (2 day trip time).
"This means we can iterate much faster to complete a Moon city than a Mars city."
He concluded the update by reiterating the pledge to build a human civilisation on Mars, adding: The overriding priority is securing the future of civilisation, and the Moon is faster."
According to The Wall Street Journal, he is now targeting March 2027 for the first uncrewed SpaceX landing on Mars.
What are the laws around building a city on the Moon?
Let's imagine a scenario where Musk is able to do the unthinkable and put SpaceX in a position to set up shop on the Moon feasibly – would it be legal?
Despite the US planting the stars and stripes on the Moon in 1969, no country has claimed sovereignty over Earth's closest planet.
In 1967, a treaty was signed by 118 countries, which agreed that both the Moon and wider solar system would only be used for peaceful means, as well as space being 'for the benefit and in the interests of all countries' and 'the province of all mankind'.
Article II of the Outer Space Treaty also adds that sovereign nations cannot claim the Moon under 'sovereignty, use, occupation, or any other means'.
Put simply, that means one nation colonising the Moon would likely be frowned upon.
More recently, the Artemis Accords saw 61 countries agree that the Moon, Mars, and the wider space can be used only for peaceful purposes.
Guess we'll find out in the next 10 years.
Brenna Cooper