SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, has tentatively postponed a Mars exploration plan that was scheduled for this year. The move is to focus its capabilities on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s lunar exploration program.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 6th (local time) that SpaceX recently told investors it would "make going to the moon the top priority and attempt a Mars trip later." SpaceX also set a concrete goal of landing its giant spacecraft Starship on the lunar surface without a crew by March next year.
Musk previously said, "The moon is just an obstacle; we will go straight to Mars." But it appears the plan has been revised due to practical technical hurdles and pressure from NASA. NASA last year pressed SpaceX to prioritize the lunar mission. In Oct. last year, then head of NASA, U.S. Transportation Minister Shaun Duffy, said SpaceX was behind schedule and noted that competition was needed over the lunar lander. In response, Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, also entered the race, saying it would reach the moon before SpaceX with its own lunar landing system.
Years earlier, NASA selected SpaceX to carry out a mission in which its super-heavy rocket Starship would dock with a NASA spacecraft in lunar orbit and then transport crew to the lunar surface. This is a core project of NASA's crewed lunar exploration program Artemis. Backed by billions of dollars in support from NASA, SpaceX developed the super-heavy rocket Starship, which stands more than 120 meters tall.