ARCHIVAL PHOTO: Full Moon © Mattia Ozbot / Getty Images
American technology billionaire Elon Musk announced plans to build a "self-expanding city" on the Moon, putting this task above his long-declared ambitions of reaching Mars.
In fresh years SpaceX has focused on the improvement of spacecraft capable of reaching the Red Planet, and Musk previously announced that the first unmanned Starship mission to Mars could launch as early as the end of 2026.
However, in a post published on Sunday on his social platform, X Musk stated that the company “It has already shifted the emphasis on building a self-development city on the Moon”, arguing that the task could be implemented in little than 10 years, while a comparable settlement on Mars would take more than 2 decades.
"SpaceX Mission remains the same: grow awareness and life as we know it to the stars" – wrote Musk.
According to him, missions to Mars are only possible if planets line up in 1 line, about all 26 months, and require a six-month trip, while launches to the Moon can take place all 10 days, and the journey takes about 2 days.
He added that this would let faster iteration and improvement of the lunar settlement.
SpaceX prioritises lunar missions and plans an unmanned landing of Starship spacecraft around 2027, reported last week ‘WSJ’, citing sources. The spacecraft is besides being developed for NASA Artemis's program to return astronauts to the Moon in this decade.
Musk said the company did not abandon its ambition for Mars and "will search to build a city on Mars and start this process in about 5 to 7 years", defining the Moon as a faster option "Security of the Future of Civilization".
The entrepreneur has repeatedly talked about the colonization of Mars as part of wider efforts to guarantee the endurance of humanity in the event of a global disaster, suggesting earlier that the planet may yet become ‘part of America’.
This announcement appears at the minute erstwhile the main powers aspire to a constant presence on the Moon.
China and Russia are building a joint global Moon investigation Station.
Moscow plans to make a nuclear-powered facility by around 2036 to support the base.
Astronauts have not visited the Moon since the Apollo 17 NASA mission in 1972.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/632188-musk-plans-build-moon-city/