Are Trump and Musk giving up on Mars? Why NASA and SpaceX may be moving on

Exploring Mars used to be a top priority for NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But a shift is underway as the Trump administration tries to cut science spending and return to the moon.

For decades, Mars has been a centerpiece of the United States’ space exploration agenda. Barack Obama set a goal while in office to land astronauts there by the 2030s. President Donald Trump promised in his inauguration speech last year to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

Just a moment.

We are getting your experience ready.