What does Trump’s promise of hoisting the American flag on Mars really mean

During his inaugural speech on Monday, President Donald J. Trump promised to send American astronauts to Mars again.
Sitting nearby, Elon Musk, the political friendly of Mr. Trump, who established SpaceX in the hope that it would one day be able to send the colonists to Mars, fleely jumped and raised two thumbs. The huge starship rocket that is currently developing Mr. Musk’s company is for this work.
Mr. Trump left many specific things untold, in which the new initiative for NASA’s current Moon program will mean, when will the astronauts reach Mars and what other NASA programs can be cut for its payment.
What has Trump said about Mars?
Mr. Trump has already mentioned landing on Mars. During a campaign rally in PA on 9 October, he promised that it would be during his presidential post. He said, “We will lead the world in space and will reach Mars before the end of my tenure.”
He did not clarify whether his intention is to bring American astronauts to Mars by 20 January 2029, which was his last day in the White House, or whether it would be enough to send a prototype of spacecraft which will be sufficient in future Will take astronauts.
On Monday, he said that American astronauts “would put stars and stripes on Mars,” but when did they go.
Separately, Mr. Musk does not shy to make his announcements. In September, he said that SpaceX will launch five starships on Mars in 2026, even if there is no rider in it, so that Mars has their ability to re -enter and reach the surface in a piece through a thin atmosphere of Mars. Can be tested.
Earth and Mars passes from every 26 months relatively close to each other; Next time they will be in alignment in late 2026. If those landers were successful, the first people will travel on the next occasion in 2028, Mr. Musk said.
The timeline of Shri Musk is possible as such, in terms of at least orbital mobility. But many other questions are yet to be answered.
What happened to the moon?
Mr. Trump did not mention the moon, even though during his first term, the centerpiece of the space program was to return the spacecraft to the moon as part of the Artemis program of NASA. There are already indications that the new administration is planning a major change in Artemis.
One signal includes who is running NASA at this time.
During the change in the President’s administration, NASA’s top political -appointed individuals generally resign, and take over until a new administrator is confirmed by a career officer, colleague administrator, Senate. Mr. Trump has nominated billionaire Jreds Isaqman, who has flew two private astronaut missions on the SpaceX rocket and who is close to Mr. Musk.
On Monday, Mr. Trump said that Janet Petro, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will serve as a acting administrator. In doing so, he surpassed NASA’s third largest officer James Free.
Mr. Free has been the protector of the current Artemis program.
Republican Space Policy Advisor James Munsi, who was not involved in NASA change for Mr. Trump, said, “Jim Free made it clear that Artemis was perfect and there is no need to change it.” “Who is ineligible for the President who wants to change things.”
The important parts of the current Artemis program include the space launch system, a powerful but expensive NASA rocket and the Orion Capsule where astronauts will travel between Earth and Moon.
Many people in the space industry expect the upcoming Trump administration to cancel SLS and possibly Orion.
On Christmas, Mr. Musk wrote on X“Artemis architecture is extremely unskilled, as it is a maximum program of jobs, not the result of the result. Something new is needed. “
The next day, Mr. Musk, who has repeatedly met Mr. Trump, It seemed that the Moon was called to leave it completely: “No, we are going directly to Mars. Moon is distraction. “
Mr. Musk did not give importance to the Moon, even though SpaceX has a $ 4 billion contract to create a version of Starships to move astronauts from the lunar orbit to the lunar class.
SpaceX’s contract will also be canceled with the cancellation of Artemis.
Mr. Munsi said, “We will see whether there is any money for the moon in the budget,” said that he would like that NASA continues the moon program using SLS commercial options.
Can American astronauts really reach Mars?
Mr. Musk has a long history of introducing unrealistic, highly optimistic programs for his rocket development. In 2016, he predicted that the first unmanned SpaceX mission on Mars would be launched at 2022, and astronauts would go there this year.
SpaceX has made technological progress, but they are much less than the things necessary to complete the journey of Mars. Some of the most important obstacles include projection and quick changes between fueling starships while in class.
Life -support system will also have to work reliably on versions going to Mars of Sri Musk’s Starship – cleaning carbon dioxide from air, recycling water and doing other tasks to keep the ship lighted – For more than a year.
If the astronauts successfully landed on Mars, the return journey will still require proven technologies.
For one, starships have to fill fuel with methane and oxygen.
The technique of removing those gases from the air of Mars is still mostly imaginary. SpaceX may potentially send additional starships with propellers for return journey, but this will increase the complexity.
Then the question is who will pay for all this. These Mars flights will be at a time when NASA is busy with its Artemis Moon Missions, possibly fulfilling its contractual obligations to make SpaceX Moon Lander.
At least on paper, it may be meaningful for Mr. Musk that the Artemis Moon Mission is canceled and NASA has to pay it instead of targeting Mars.
(Tagsteotransite) Mars (planet) (T) Trump (T) Donald J (T) Space and Astronomy (T) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (T) Musk (T) Elon (T) Space Exploration Technologies Corpse (T) Artemis Program (T) Moon (T) United States Politics and Government (T) Private Space Flight (T) Rocket Sciences and Pledge
#Trumps #promise #hoisting #American #flag #Mars