Donald Trump and Elon Musk share ambitious goals for space exploration, including plans to send humans to Mars and enhance military presence in space.

Musk's support for Trump's campaign suggests a potential manned mission to Mars could occur within Trump's next four-year term.

As part of his space strategy, Trump intends to establish a Space National Guard, which would serve as a reserve for the Space Force, a commitment he made during a National Guard event in August 2024.

The idea of a Space National Guard has been under discussion in Congress since 2021, although it has faced opposition, particularly from the Biden administration.

In addition to this, Trump is expected to proceed with relocating Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, affecting over 3,700 personnel.

Despite his previous criticisms of NASA, Trump is likely to continue focusing on lunar exploration during his second term, particularly through the Artemis program.

The Artemis program, which Trump initiated, aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, with missions planned to the lunar south pole by 2026.

NASA is currently designing the Gateway lunar space station, which will support long-term lunar missions and future Mars exploration.

However, Musk's significant financial backing for Trump raises concerns about potential budget cuts to competing NASA initiatives such as Gateway, the Orion spacecraft, and the Mars Sample Return mission.

As Trump prepares for his second term, uncertainty looms over the space industry, with speculation regarding which initiatives he will prioritize.

Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, suggests that insights from Trump's first administration can help set expectations for his upcoming term.

Dreier also notes that increased government funding for SpaceX or reduced regulatory burdens could expedite plans for a Mars mission.