Trump pledges Mars mission boost with Musk collaboration
Donald Trump announced in his speech after being sworn in as president of the United States, "We will follow our destiny to the stars, sending our astronauts to plant our flag on the surface of Mars. "
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday during a ceremony at the Capitol. During his speech, he announced the American ambition to conquer space.
The United States will see itself again as a growing nation, one that expands in prosperity, territory, expectations, and will carry its flag into a bright future. We will follow our destiny to the stars, sending our astronauts to plant our flag on the surface of Mars, Trump declared.
"Ambition is the foundation of a great country. And our country is ambitious. Americans are explorers, entrepreneurs, and pioneers. The call of the next great adventure resonates in our hearts," the president emphasized.
"We will dream of great things because we are Americans. The future belongs to us, and our golden age has just begun," concluded Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States, in his speech.
Trump will assist Musk
As early as September, Musk, who is collaborating with Donald Trump, announced that within two years his company SpaceX will conduct an uncrewed mission to Mars using the Starship, a powerful rocket designed for interplanetary travel.
In turn, Musk plans to send the first crew to Mars in 2028. To make these goals a reality, the billionaire has already spent over 130 million dollars supporting Trump and Republican Party candidates, Bloomberg reported in September.
During his appearance at a conference in Saudi Arabia, Musk openly admitted that Trump's victory could help SpaceX in overcoming regulatory barriers. "Getting approval for launch takes longer than building a large rocket," Musk complained at the time.
Adam Steltzner, an engineer from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, assessed that it is unlikely SpaceX will carry out a crewed mission to Mars by the end of the decade. "Many key technologies are still missing," he emphasized. Donald Trump nevertheless supported Musk's vision at the time.
