U.S. tech giant Musk posted today: "Many people may not know that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a self-sustaining city on the Moon, as we may achieve this within less than 10 years, while Mars would take more than 20 years."
SpaceX's mission has always been: to extend our known consciousness and life into the stars.
It is only possible to go to Mars every 26 months when the planets align (a journey taking 6 months), while we can launch a spacecraft to the Moon every 10 days (a journey taking 2 days). This means that building a lunar city will be far faster than building a Martian city.
That said, SpaceX will still strive to build a Martian city and plans to start related work in about 5 to 7 years, but the top priority is to ensure the future of human civilization, and the progress of the lunar project is faster."
Comments: Musk shifting his focus to a lunar city essentially acknowledges the practical difficulties of Mars exploration. The 26-month window, and a six-month journey, determine that Mars missions have very low tolerance for errors and slow iteration, which is far less practical than frequent round-trip flights to the Moon and rapid validation.
Putting the lunar city as a priority is both a rational technical choice and a compromise with commercial and government cooperation. The Moon allows frequent launches, quick round trips, and lower technical risks, which can quickly validate Starship and residency capabilities, as well as connect with NASA projects and fulfill commercial and political expectations. Only by running through closed-loop survival, in-situ resources, and large spacecraft operations on the Moon can the Mars plan have a truly feasible foundation, rather than remaining just a concept or slogan.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856603085625482/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.