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Mars or the moon or AI? Elon Musk’s changing goals for SpaceX

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(FILES) CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, South African-Canadian-US businessman Elon Musk speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. Tesla reported higher first-quarter profits Wednesday, pointing to recovering demand in North America as it pursues significant investments in autonomous transport and artificial intelligence. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Businessman Elon Musk's new goals for SpaceX raise questions about how much shareholders can rely on his word.

PHOTO: AFP

Ryan Mac

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LOS ANGELES – For years, SpaceX’s mission was clear: Get humans to Mars.

“The most powerful thing we could do is establish a second, self-sustaining civilisation outside of Earth,” SpaceX’s chief executive officer Elon Musk told Forbes in 2003, a year after founding the company.

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