Elon Musk Calls the Moon 'a Distraction,' Says Mars Is the Goal

Elon Musk has quelled any thoughts of SpaceX focusing on Lunar exploration or colonization, reiterating his intention of colonizing Mars.

Musk has been a longtime proponent of colonizing space, saying it is essential for humanity’s survival. As one of the closest, and least inhospitable planets in the solar system, Mars is the center of most discussion about interplanetary colonization. Musk has promised to send the first humans to Mars, and help colonize the planet.

In a response astrophysicist Peter Hague, Musk reaffirmed his focus on Mars as the ultimate destination.

No, we’re going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction.

Mass to orbit is the key metric, thereafter mass to Mars surface. The former needs to be in the megaton to orbit per year range to build a self-sustaining colony on Mars.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2025

Hague goes on to make the point that the Moon could still be a critical step in the journey to Mars, even providing necessary infrastructure and supplies.

I wouldn’t put Moon infrastructure on the critical path to Mars – but surely it will develop natural in parallel as launch costs fall. At some point another company will surely develop it for resources that could feed back into the Mars program.
— Peter Hague (@peterrhague) January 3, 2025

While Musk may be focused on Mars, Hague makes a good point that the Moon could still be an important part of any Mars colonization efforts.

Elon Musk Calls the Moon ‘a Distraction,’ Says Mars Is the Goal

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