INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Several sources in the space community, therefore, believe it is indeed plausible that SLS and Orion will be phased out over the next five
years in favor of far less expensive commercial rockets and spacecraft
NASA will thus be asked to beat China to the Moon with the legacy systems and then identify more affordable options for future missions to
the Moon.One area that will see increased spending under the Trump administration's proposed budget is human space exploration."By
allocating over $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, the Budget ensures
administration, NASA will seek to reach both the Moon and Mars
The goal, stated in the document, is to refocus NASA "on beating China to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars." Unfortunately,
there is no information on what these "Mars-focused programs" will be
Some of this new funding would almost certainly go to SpaceX
The company, founded by Trump ally Elon Musk, explicitly focuses on establishing human settlements on Mars.Although lunar and Mars
exploration receive increases, the budget seeks to reduce the agency's commitment to the International Space Station, while still flying it
"Crew and cargo flights to the station would be significantly reduced
Congress will oppose some of these changes, particularly the cuts to science programs and the reduction in activity on the International
But that story will play out in the coming months as the laborious budget process unfolds.
