SpaceX's Lunar Ambition: Building a Self-Growing Moon City

Elon Musk announces SpaceX's focus on creating a self-sustaining city on the moon within a decade, prioritizing it over Mars ambitions. Facing competition from China, Musk looks to leverage SpaceX's recent AI acquisition for space-based data centers. Plans include a significant public offering and Tesla's pivot towards autonomous technology.

SpaceX, under the visionary leadership of Elon Musk, intends to build a "self-growing city" on the moon, targeting a less than ten-year timeline. This strategic pivot shift prioritizes lunar colonization over Mars, with Musk stating this as critical for securing civilization's future.

Musk's statements mirror a recent Wall Street Journal report highlighting SpaceX's focus on the moon, with plans to attempt an uncrewed lunar landing by March 2027 while delaying Mars expeditions. The initiative comes amid growing competition in lunar exploration from China, which has galvanized space endeavors.

Furthermore, SpaceX's acquisition of the AI company xAI is seen as a step to develop space-based data centers, a more energy-efficient solution to meet the booming demand for AI-related computing power. In parallel, SpaceX aims for a groundbreaking $50 billion public offering. Meanwhile, Musk's Tesla is refocusing on autonomous driving and robotics, pausing the production of certain car models to accommodate these shifts.

(With inputs from agencies.)