ALL SYSTEMS GO

DONALD TRUMP WANTS TO SEND A U.S. CREW TO MARS BY THE END OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL TERM, A PLAN SPACEX BOSS ELON MUSK SAID IS 'DOABLE.' ASTRONAUTS NEWSWEEK SPOKE TO QUESTIONED THE TIME FRAME BUT AGREED A FLIGHT TO THE RED PLANET WOULD SOON BE POSSIBLE

- JOSHUA RHETT MILLER

THE RESOLUTENESS OF NASA'S AMBITIOUS vision to send astronauts to Mars-a round-trip voyage of more than a billion miles once limited to science fiction appears stronger than ever, albeit not without significant technological and physiological hurdles. As billionaire Elon Musk continues SpaceX's relentless commercial efforts, President Donald Trump recently reinvigorated the United States' race to put boots on the rocky red planet during his joint session to Congress, vowing to lead humanity into space and "plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond."

Trump previously pledged to send astronauts to Mars during his inaugural address without elaborating on a time frame, but regularly referenced the fourth planet from the sun while campaigning last fall. At a rally in October in Reading, Pennsylvania, Trump promised the United States would "reach Mars" by the end of his presidency in January 2029.

"I said to Elon, 'Is that doable?" Trump told the crowd. "Absolutely.' He loves rockets, that guy, man. Never seen a guy that likes rockets so much."

Trump has not specified what a Mars mission would mean for Artemis-NASA's existing and recently delayed lunar program-or if the initial endeavor would be manned or uncrewed. Musk, meanwhile, wants to colonize the planet as soon as possible, characterizing the moon as a "distraction" in early January.

The Path to a Multiplanet Civilization

MUSK BELIEVES MARS REPRESENTS HUMANITY'S answer to inevitable existential threats, including rogue asteroids, nuclear warfare or cataclysmic natural disasters. "So, I think we at least want to build a city on Mars and become a multiplanet civilization, which I think would be incredibly important in ensuring the long-term survival of civilization," Musk told podcast host Joe Rogan in late February.