Elon MuskHis ambition to send humans to Mars could see new momentum Donald TrumpBack at the White House. With Trump’s recent campaign backed by the tech billionaire, Musk’s vision of making a Mars mission a national priority could receive renewed support from the new US administration, according to Reuters. Reports suggest that with Trump in office, Musk’s Mars mission could receive an additional boost with possible changes. NASAFocus, to shift more attention to the red planet.
Musk, who appeared at a Trump rally in October wearing an “Occupy Mars” T-shirt, reportedly spent $119 million to support Trump’s White House bid. Musk made the announcement just last month SpaceXThe Starship could land on Mars by 2026, with a crewed mission planned four years later. Trump has also expressed interest in Musk’s goals, describing the moon as a stepping stone to Mars in recent statements.
These missions will begin with uncrewed flights, as Musk confirmed at X, explaining that the initial landings are meant to test reliability. If these initial landings are successful, SpaceX aims to send humans to Mars within four years. “The flight rate will increase exponentially,” Musk said, with the ultimate goal of establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars within two decades. He believes that becoming a “multiplanetary species” is necessary to protect humanity’s long-term future.
NASA’s Artemis program, originally intended to explore the Moon, may move further toward Mars, insiders suggest. This ambitious approach will leverage starships to conduct lunar missions in preparation for future Mars exploration. But moving forward with these goals does not come without challenges, including significant cost and technical risks.
In an unusual move for a presidential transition, Trump’s endorsement of Musk appears to have put space policy high on the new administration’s agenda. Doug Lovero, a space policy adviser and former head of NASA’s Human Exploration Division, noted that a Trump victory could lead to a more “realistic Mars plan.”
Although NASA’s plans remain uncertain, the changes could include more support for deregulation, something Musk has long advocated. NASA could adopt more fixed-price contracts, which would enable private companies like SpaceX to take on greater responsibility while reducing the burden on government programs. The change could challenge NASA’s own expensive Space Launch System (SLS), whose development has already stretched the budget of the Artemis program.
Some experts are skeptical of Musk’s Mars timeline. “Could Elon land a starship on Mars at the end of Trump’s term? Possibly, as a one-way mission,” says Scott Pace, former head of space policy under Trump’s first term. “But a team mission is another matter – you have to walk before you run.”
SpaceX recently demonstrated the Starship’s capabilities when it successfully completed a re-entry test in June, landing in the Indian Ocean. For musk, this vehicle represents The future of human spaceflightwith the ultimate goal of transporting people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.