Musk plans to build cities on the Moon and Mars

Elon Musk has revealed his space company's ambitious plans for colonizing nearby celestial bodies.

The SpaceX founder shared his ambitious vision on the social network X, outlining specific timelines for creating extraterrestrial settlements.

The primary target will be Earth's natural satellite. The engineering team has already begun working closely on the lunar project, and the first tangible results could emerge in less than 10 years.

"SpaceX will also aim to build a city on Mars and will begin this in approximately five to seven years," Musk wrote.

The billionaire explained why colonizing the Red Planet will take considerably longer. Launch windows for Martian expeditions open only once every 26 months, when the planets' orbits bring them closer together. The journey itself takes approximately six months.

The situation with the Moon is fundamentally different: launches are possible every 10 days, and the journey takes only two days. This logistical accessibility will allow the lunar city to be built significantly faster. According to Musk's projections, constructing a Martian settlement will take more than 20 years.

The entrepreneur had previously stated the pressing need for humanity's large-scale return to the Moon, noting that only 66 years passed between the Wright brothers' first flight and the lunar landing.