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Elon Musk has provided the public with an update on SpaceX’s Mars mission and it has led to backlash by critics who have branded him a ‘fraud’.
The tech mogul has had his sights set on the Red Planet for years, previously stating that his firm could achieve ‘life sustaining life’ on Mars in as little as 20 to 30 years.
However, it seems like Musk might be shifting his interests over to the Moon instead, as his recent social media post appears to suggest.
Taking to his own platform X, formerly Twitter, Musk 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.
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“The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars.
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2026
The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to…
“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 (2 day trip time). This means we can iterate much faster to complete a Moon city than a Mars city.”
However, it seems like Mars isn’t completely off the table, as the billionaire went on to say: “That said, SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years, but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster.”
The revelation received a mixed reaction, with some people sharing their disapproval of the decision.
One user shot back at the mogul, saying: “You said the moon was a distraction. Now you have pivoted to the moon because you cannot get to mars. FRAUD. LIAR.”
Another said: “This is actually disappointing and makes me think that you're having more struggles than originally thought in your ambition getting to Mars. “
A third person commented: “It should be good practice for the work ahead on Mars along with the benefits of a base on the Moon.”
And a fourth added: “Why not just focus on keeping Earth habitable?”
Previously appearing in an interview where he promoted his mission to Mars, Musk said: “We are going to be able to take astronauts to Mars, in fact we want to take anyone who goes to Mars and ultimately build a self-sustaining civilization on Mars.
“That is the long-term goal of the company, to make life multi-planetary.”
