- Elon Musk announced SpaceX plans to enable public travel to the Moon and Mars
- His post on X about Moon trips gained over 30 million views within hours
- Users praised the idea as a milestone toward making humanity multi-planetary
Elon Musk has once again drawn attention to his plans to allow the public to travel to the Moon. Musk called his idea “so insanely cool” in a post on X.
He said, “SpaceX will build a system that allows anyone to travel to Moon.”
In a follow-up post, he added, “And Mars too.”
Though Musk's announcement of trips to the Moon meant a departure from his long-standing ambition of making Mars SpaceX's primary destination, his subsequent post may have reassured some of his followers that the Red Planet is still on the company's radar.
However, Musk's announcement about Moon trips went viral within hours of the post going online. So far, as of 10:50 a.m. IST on Feb. 10, the post has amassed over 30 million views. It has also sparked a flurry of reactions online.
Many users welcomed the announcement with enthusiasm, seeing it as a milestone in humanity's journey into space.
One user wrote, “Amazing! Leaving Earth's orbit and settling on the Moon is no longer just science fiction. The preparation for an uncrewed mission in 2027 and the goal of establishing a full-fledged city within 10 years is incredible. The collaboration between xAI and SpaceX will also pave the way for future space data centres. This is the biggest step yet towards making humanity a multi-planetary species. Thanks.”
Another described the initiative as “the dawn of a new era,” adding, “With launches possible every 10 days, the Moon is becoming our neighbourhood's front porch. It's absolutely thrilling to watch science fiction become our reality!”
The prospect of a lunar city also sparked imagination among space enthusiasts.
“It's going to be incredible, surreal to think that one day humanity will vacation in space, on the Moon. A self-sustaining city, that's surreal, it seems like something out of a science fiction movie, wrote one user.
Another said, “Absolutely wild. If this happens, space won't be a dream anymore, it'll be a destination.”
Some users also highlighted the potential impact of SpaceX's Starship platform on space exploration.
“What is currently being attempted with the Starship platform is equivalent to the jet engine revolution in aviation history. If launch costs are radically reduced as targeted, the Moon will no longer be just a celestial body we observe with a telescope, but will become a logistical base, a laboratory, and even a refuelling station,” one comment read.
Questions about cost and accessibility also surfaced. Some wondered whether lunar travel would remain exclusive.
“How much will it cost to travel to the Moon? Or will that happen once everyone is wealthy and money becomes irrelevant in over ~50 years from today?” asked one user.
Another was more optimistic, saying, “With fully reusable rockets, the cost of traveling to the Moon will be so low that in the future it will no longer be limited to astronauts alone.”
Not all reactions were positive though. One sceptic questioned the value of lunar travel, writing, “Why do I need travel to something that is not even adapted for life? Can you just spend this money to develop our planet which is great for living?”
Despite the debate, overall, the post reflected Elon Musk's ability to capture the public imagination.
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