Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk says he wants Moon travel to become accessible to "anyone" as the company’s Starship architecture is designed to deliver up to 100 tons of cargo directly to the lunar surface with on-orbit refueling.
Musk Wants Lunar Travel Open to Everyone
"Moonbase Alpha will be so cool," Musk wrote on X. "And we want to make it so that anyone can go to the Moon if they want."
The remark extends a theme Musk emphasized at SpaceX’s June IPO event, when he said the company wants to take "anyone who wants to go" to the Moon or Mars, "not just a few astronauts." Musk told viewers, "I mean you, literally you. Whoever you are."
Starship Could Supply Permanent Moon Base
Starship provides the hardware behind that ambition. SpaceX says on-orbit propellant transfer would let the reusable vehicle place up to 100 tons on the Moon, carrying habitats, rovers and equipment. NASA is developing a Starship Human Landing System with SpaceX for Artemis and says the roughly 165-foot lander will use an elevator to move astronauts and cargo.
Musk has become more bullish on the Moon this year. In February, he said SpaceX had shifted its near-term priority toward a "self-growing city" there because lunar missions could launch about every 10 days and take roughly two days, enabling faster iteration than Mars. "The overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster," he said.
When NASA unveiled plans in May for a sustained Moon Base, Musk responded, "This will be awesome!!" NASA now plans phased infrastructure near the lunar south pole, including power, resource extraction, construction technology and autonomous robotic systems.
Starship’s cargo capacity could therefore support more than short expeditions, moving large power systems and construction equipment to the surface.
Refueling Challenge Still Threatens Lunar Timeline
Major engineering hurdles remain. NASA’s inspector general said in March that Starship had accumulated at least two years of delays and identified cryogenic propellant transfer as a major challenge. Reuters reported at the time that a crewed lunar mission may require more than 11 tanker launches before the Moon-bound Starship departs Earth orbit.
Benzinga edge rankings indicate SpaceX stock has a negative price trend across the short, medium, and long term.
Price Action: SPCX shares were trading 0.23% lower at $132.98 in after-market hours on Tuesday.
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