Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly plans to focus on a return to the moon before pursuing its long-stated ambitions to reach Mars.
SpaceX Shifts Focus From Mars To The Moon
SpaceX has told investors it plans to prioritize a lunar mission instead of attempting to reach the red planet, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The company is now targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed landing on the moon.
Musk said last year that SpaceX aimed to send an uncrewed mission to Mars by the end of 2026.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
US-China Space Race Adds Pressure
The move comes as the U.S. faces growing competition from China to return humans to the moon.
No astronauts have visited the lunar surface since NASA’s final Apollo mission in 1972, and lunar exploration has become a key geopolitical and technological milestone this decade.
SpaceX’s Moon Push Follows xAI Acquisition
The report follows SpaceX’s agreement to acquire xAI, valuing SpaceX at about $1 trillion and the artificial intelligence company at $250 billion.
The $1.25 trillion SpaceX–xAI merger has fueled growing expectations that SpaceX could go public as early as June.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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