POLICY & OUTREACH
Moon 2 Mars Exploration Enjoys Strong Bipartisan Support
For many years, Explore Mars, Inc. has been advancing the conversation about human and robotic exploration of Moon and Mars.
On January 20, 2025, we became the conversation during the U.S. Presidential Inauguration.
"...we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars."
Do the Space Launch System and Orion have a future under the Trump administration?
Since the recent presidential election, there’s been a flurry of speculation about the future of NASA’s Moon to Mars plans during the second Trump administration. Will we accelerate plans to return to the moon and Mars? Will NASA be restructured? And, how will these plans align with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)?
The speculation has been particularly intense regarding the future of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew vehicle. Some pundits have called for the outright cancellation of SLS and Orion, citing the cost of these vehicles and delays in their development. However, the immediate cancellation of these vehicles may be premature.
Cuts to NASA’s budget could derail America’s Mars ambitions
In his recent Joint Address to Congress, President Trump reiterated his commitment to space exploration, stating, “We are going to conquer the vast frontiers of science, and we are going to lead humanity into space and plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond.”
This statement is consistent with the continuous and unbroken presidential support for Mars exploration since the presidency of George W. Bush. Even in the current polarized state of politics in our country, space exploration and science missions have consistently maintained strong bipartisan support — one of the few government policies or programs that has such broad backing.