Elon: Skip Mars, Settle for the Moon Instead

Monday, February 09, 2026

Elon Musk's ambition to one day settle Mars appears to have taken a back seat for a rather nearer and more achievable goal -- sending humans to live on the Moon.

Posted by REDIAL at 09:31 AM | 12 COMMENTS | permalink

"SpaceX has put off a mission to Mars planned for this year, shifting its focus to a long-promised lunar voyage for NASA." "Last year, Musk called the moon 'a distraction' and said SpaceX is going 'straight to Mars.'"

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-- Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) Feb 6, 2026 at 8:11 PM

Comments

Huh. Guess even that moron can figure out that if the big rockets keep getting explodey they won't get to Mars.

#1 | Posted by DarkVader at 2026-02-09 10:30 AM

He knew a long time ago it was bulls*&^. People were just stupid enough to keep shoveling money to him.

Now that it's coming time to actually make good, he's gotta "pivot" to save face.

Elong will go down as one of the biggest scams in modern America.

#2 | Posted by jpw at 2026-02-09 10:56 AM

A moon base is pretty much a prerequisite to a mars base.

If you cannot get to the moon consistently and safely you aren't going to get to mars safely either. (3 days vs. 6 months away)

Getting a base on the moon is considered a vital strategic, logistical, and safety "stepping stone" to getting to mars.

You might make one mars shot successfully but Murphy's Law will bite you in the arse eventually especially after 6 months in Space.

It requires 25"30 times less energy to launch from the Moon.

Whatever lessons you learn from building a moon base can then be transferred to the Mars Program.

Of course it would help to find an asteroid made of diamonds or gold or some exotic rare earth minerals to help pay for it all.

#3 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-02-09 11:22 AM

Given Elon can't fly a rocket lately, even the moon seems like a long shot.

#4 | Posted by jpw at 2026-02-09 12:42 PM

Damn. I was hoping to be one of the volunteers on the Mars shot for people who knew they'd never come back.

#5 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-02-09 12:48 PM

How come he's a "genius" but he's always wrong about everything?

#6 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2026-02-09 01:02 PM

Space travel is science. MAGA doesn't give a ---- about it.

#7 | Posted by Zed at 2026-02-09 04:50 PM

How come he's a "genius" but he's always wrong about everything?

Because it turns out he's just a shamelessly self promoting stoner who has watched too many episodes of The Jetsons.

#8 | Posted by jpw at 2026-02-09 11:17 PM

"One of these days, Alice... Pow! Straight to the moon!"

#9 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-02-10 05:28 AM

Next year Musk will downgrade his plans from going to the moon to going to Antarctica.

#10 | Posted by eightfifteenpm at 2026-02-10 09:06 AM

Elon should focus on improving the -------- country he adopted.

#11 | Posted by Jaspar at 2026-02-10 11:00 AM

"Last year, Musk called the moon 'a distraction'"

Wow, he's finally telling the truth!

Elon Musk: In just a few years AI and robots will make everyone wealthy and no one will have to work. And there will be cities on the Moon.

Also Elon Musk: still can't figure out self-driving cars

#12 | Posted by Derek_Wildstar at 2026-02-10 01:24 PM

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