The announcement marks a significant strategic pivot for SpaceX, which has for years positioned its Mars colonization ambitions as the companys ultimate goal. Musk suggested the Moon offers a more practical stepping stone for establishing permanent human presence beyond Earth.

The concept of a self-growing city implies infrastructure that could expand autonomously or semi-autonomously, potentially using lunar resources for construction and life support.

The shift comes as SpaceX Starship program continues development, with the massive rocket designed to transport humans and cargo to both the Moon and Mars. NASA Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface, relies heavily on SpaceX hardware.