Elon Musk's SpaceX to build a system allowing 'anyone' to travel to the Moon and Mars

Elon Musk has sparked a fresh wave of excitement regarding the future of space tourism, asserting that SpaceX will develop a system to enable "anyone" to travel to the Moon.

In a series of posts on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), Musk described the prospect as "insanely cool". He later added a follow-up post clarifying that his ambitions for public spaceflight extend to "Mars too".

The announcements come amidst a broader shift within SpaceX. While Musk has long championed the colonisation of Mars as the ultimate goal for humanity, SpaceX has recently prioritised a "Moon-first" approach.

Musk explained that the proximity of the Moon allows for much faster development. Spacecraft can be launched to the Moon every 10 days with a mere two-day journey time, whereas Mars missions are restricted by planetary alignments that occur only every 26 months.

SpaceX now aims to establish a "self-growing" city on the lunar surface, a feat Musk believes could be achieved in under a decade. This lunar base is envisioned as a critical stepping stone for testing the technologies required for more distant deep-space travel.

Despite this shift in immediate focus, the Red Planet remains a long-term objective. Musk noted that while the Moon is the current "overriding priority", SpaceX still intends to begin building a Martian settlement within the next five to seven years.

The company is currently working towards an uncrewed landing on the Moon, targeted for March 2027.