During a meeting with employees on February 10, Elon Musk revealed that he wants to build a satellite factory on the Moon, along with a giant catapult to launch satellites into space. For now, the plan is just an idea, but Musk recently combined xAI, his artificial intelligence venture, with SpaceX, declaring his intention to build data centers in space.
The billionaire’s infatuation with the Moon is recent. Indeed, after plans to send cargo to Mars by 2018 failed, Musk is now focusing on the Moon first as a gateway for future missions to Mars.
One of the richest and most high-profile entrepreneurs of the modern age, Elon Musk has become an increasingly controversial figure. Since his 2022 takeover of Twitter, now X, and his emergence as a prominent figure of the far right, the billionaire has faced intense public scrutiny. His involvement with the US government in 2025 garnered immense criticism, especially after the cost-cutting drives led to thousands of job losses. Most recently, his AI chatbot Grok has come under fire for facilitating online abuse of women and children.
Click through the following gallery to learn more about Musk's journey from business to politics, and why it’s been causing such a stir.