Congress Aims to Halt Elon Musk's Space Ambitions for Mars?
An ally of Trump advocates for prioritizing Mars exploration over lunar missions. However, he encounters a significant challenge: Congress.
TroibNews 
Elon Musk, a close confidant of Donald Trump, advocates that NASA abandon its ambitious plans to return to the moon and instead prioritize a mission to Mars. However, Congress is prepared to oppose this idea.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who control funding for NASA, are determined to see Americans return to the lunar surface by 2027 and are unwilling to veer away from that goal, despite Musk's inclination to bypass the moon in favor of Mars.
This division lays the groundwork for a potential conflict between influential Trump ally Musk and GOP lawmakers regarding significant space policy choices this century.
While President-elect Trump has, for the time being, refrained from taking a stance on the issue, his initial administration initiated NASA’s plans for a lunar landing. At the same time, he has urged the agency to explore the feasibility of going straight to Mars.
“To bypass the moon would be a mistake,” stated Texas Rep. Brian Babin, who leads the House committee overseeing space matters.
Musk, the billionaire space entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX, envisions a Mars mission that aims to ensure human survival beyond Earth, even at the expense of hundreds of billions of dollars and extreme risks to participants. He has referred to the colonization of Mars as “life insurance for life.”
“We’re going straight to Mars,” Musk proclaimed recently, asserting that focusing on the moon is a “distraction.”
Despite Musk's enthusiasm for a Mars-first strategy, it is unlikely to gain traction on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are keen on preserving jobs linked to moon exploration, supporting a lunar economy, and competing with China in space activities. Since they have control over NASA's budget, their stance significantly influences the agency's ambitions.
“There would be a lot of congressional resistance,” noted Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that promotes space exploration.
Last year, the House and Senate Science committees firmly expressed their backing for lunar exploration in NASA reauthorization bills.
Shifting NASA’s focus to Mars would affect projects like the moon-focused Space Launch System, a multibillion-dollar rocket crucial to the Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon and eventually establish a lunar space station.
“We have put a lot of time, effort and money into Artemis, and I think we should allow NASA to complete that mission,” emphasized Sen. Mark Kelly, a former astronaut.
Mars presents various technical challenges, including the mission duration. A round trip to Mars could take three years, unlike the three days required to reach the moon. Moreover, the physical toll of long-duration spaceflight could jeopardize the crew’s safety upon arrival.
Outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson underscored the importance of lunar exploration, stating, “You’ve got to learn to walk before you run.”
Musk has consistently expressed enthusiasm for a mission to Mars. However, it remains unclear if his recent statements were directed at NASA’s ongoing efforts or a separate SpaceX-funded mission. Neither Musk nor SpaceX responded to inquiries for comment.
While Trump has not publicly expressed a preference, he championed a return to the moon during his first term but has shown growing interest in Mars since then. He criticized NASA's lunar focus in a June 2019 tweet and later inquired of then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine about the possibility of a direct Mars mission. His transition team did not reply to requests for comment.
A shift in focus to Mars could pose financial risks for lawmakers. For instance, Sen. Ted Cruz and Babin have actively supported the growth of the commercial space industry and could undercut business opportunities in space if NASA pivots to Mars.
Additionally, proponents of lunar exploration in Congress fear that such a shift would allow China to establish a presence on the moon, as the nation plans to land its own astronauts there by 2030.
“If we do not beat the Chinese to the moon, they are going to write the rules of the road up there,” warned Babin.
However, opposing Musk could carry political risks. He has already threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans opposing Trump’s cabinet nominees, making a confrontation regarding his space ambitions potentially hazardous for lawmakers.
“Is it more important to be aligned with the leader of your party?” questioned Dreier, the space policy expert. “Or is it more important to fight for those technician and engineering jobs that go to your state?”
Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien contributed to this report.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who control funding for NASA, are determined to see Americans return to the lunar surface by 2027 and are unwilling to veer away from that goal, despite Musk's inclination to bypass the moon in favor of Mars.
This division lays the groundwork for a potential conflict between influential Trump ally Musk and GOP lawmakers regarding significant space policy choices this century.
While President-elect Trump has, for the time being, refrained from taking a stance on the issue, his initial administration initiated NASA’s plans for a lunar landing. At the same time, he has urged the agency to explore the feasibility of going straight to Mars.
“To bypass the moon would be a mistake,” stated Texas Rep. Brian Babin, who leads the House committee overseeing space matters.
Musk, the billionaire space entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX, envisions a Mars mission that aims to ensure human survival beyond Earth, even at the expense of hundreds of billions of dollars and extreme risks to participants. He has referred to the colonization of Mars as “life insurance for life.”
“We’re going straight to Mars,” Musk proclaimed recently, asserting that focusing on the moon is a “distraction.”
Despite Musk's enthusiasm for a Mars-first strategy, it is unlikely to gain traction on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are keen on preserving jobs linked to moon exploration, supporting a lunar economy, and competing with China in space activities. Since they have control over NASA's budget, their stance significantly influences the agency's ambitions.
“There would be a lot of congressional resistance,” noted Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that promotes space exploration.
Last year, the House and Senate Science committees firmly expressed their backing for lunar exploration in NASA reauthorization bills.
Shifting NASA’s focus to Mars would affect projects like the moon-focused Space Launch System, a multibillion-dollar rocket crucial to the Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon and eventually establish a lunar space station.
“We have put a lot of time, effort and money into Artemis, and I think we should allow NASA to complete that mission,” emphasized Sen. Mark Kelly, a former astronaut.
Mars presents various technical challenges, including the mission duration. A round trip to Mars could take three years, unlike the three days required to reach the moon. Moreover, the physical toll of long-duration spaceflight could jeopardize the crew’s safety upon arrival.
Outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson underscored the importance of lunar exploration, stating, “You’ve got to learn to walk before you run.”
Musk has consistently expressed enthusiasm for a mission to Mars. However, it remains unclear if his recent statements were directed at NASA’s ongoing efforts or a separate SpaceX-funded mission. Neither Musk nor SpaceX responded to inquiries for comment.
While Trump has not publicly expressed a preference, he championed a return to the moon during his first term but has shown growing interest in Mars since then. He criticized NASA's lunar focus in a June 2019 tweet and later inquired of then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine about the possibility of a direct Mars mission. His transition team did not reply to requests for comment.
A shift in focus to Mars could pose financial risks for lawmakers. For instance, Sen. Ted Cruz and Babin have actively supported the growth of the commercial space industry and could undercut business opportunities in space if NASA pivots to Mars.
Additionally, proponents of lunar exploration in Congress fear that such a shift would allow China to establish a presence on the moon, as the nation plans to land its own astronauts there by 2030.
“If we do not beat the Chinese to the moon, they are going to write the rules of the road up there,” warned Babin.
However, opposing Musk could carry political risks. He has already threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans opposing Trump’s cabinet nominees, making a confrontation regarding his space ambitions potentially hazardous for lawmakers.
“Is it more important to be aligned with the leader of your party?” questioned Dreier, the space policy expert. “Or is it more important to fight for those technician and engineering jobs that go to your state?”
Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien contributed to this report.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
