When President Trump’s new cabinet begins work at the White House, their policies will reshape the direction and priorities of NASA in particular and space science in general.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. Image: Sci Tech Daily
Under President Donald Trump’s new term, NASA will face the possibility of redefining its mission for decades to come. The rapid changes could impact many aspects of space exploration such as the future of NASA’s Artemis lunar program, which rockets will be prioritized or deferred, the level of funding for Earth science and climate, according to Space. Debate will take place over the coming months and years to determine the direction and scale of many programs and agencies in the US, with tensions between budget cuts or increased spending in some key areas. .
To the Moon or Mars
One of the big issues with the ability to change the direction of NASA’s operations as well as America’s relations with international and geopolitical partners is the future of the Artemis program. Artemis was set out during Mr. Trump’s first term with the goal of returning humans to the Moon and continued under President Biden. The program is years behind schedule, beset by delays and technical problems.
Elon Musk, the billionaire who owns the aerospace company SpaceX, is very active in President Trump’s election campaign and is co-in charge of the new Department of Government Effectiveness, said “we will go straight to the stars.” Fire. The Moon is a distraction”. However, with Musk’s current influence, changing NASA’s direction may not be easy and the US Congress still has a say in any developments.
“The new Trump administration could skip the Moon and go straight to Mars, but I predict they could face opposition from Congress similar to President Obama’s when he proposed it in 2010.” , said Marcia Smith, who has 40 years of experience researching space policy and co-founder and editor of SpacePolicyOnline. “Congress wants a Moon-to-Mars program, not either.”
Ignoring the Moon target would also have geopolitical implications. China is looking for partners for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a parallel but completely separate program. However, some aspects of Artemis, such as Gateway, which seeks to establish a space station in lunar orbit as a stepping stone to landing astronauts there, could become targets of criticism from the new administration due to costs. and many delays. That move will impact many international partners such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which are developing the software. Gateway hardware.
Space launch system
Another uncertainty is the future of the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s super rocket that could carry humans to the Moon. SpaceX is developing a Starship system that promises to provide reusable alternatives. Although SLS has been criticized due to skyrocketing costs, multiple delays and poor quality control on the part of main contractor Boeing, stopping development of SLS is likely to be met with opposition.
Musk also shared that in his opinion, the Artemis program is extremely ineffective. “The new administration may seek to stop development of SLS, but this rocket has a lot of support from Congress, which decided to create SLS in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010,” Smith explained. “I’m really skeptical of the possibility of canceling the entire SLS project, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the larger and more powerful Block 1B version could be cut back in favor of commercial options.”
New director of NASA
President Donald Trump nominated technology billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman participated in two commercial flights using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, and organized, paid for and commanded both missions. Isaacman will need to be formally nominated and then confirmed by the US Senate. According to Smith, the nomination received support from the Republican Party. Although it depends on Congress’s decision, Isaacman will bring his own perspectives and priorities to NASA if selected.
Earth and climate science
Similar controversies will take place in terms of Earth science and climate. It is likely that the Trump administration will want to cut funding for these activities, but will also face obstacles from Congress. Mr. Trump’s first term sought to sharply reduce costs for many of NASA’s Earth science programs, but Congress rejected cuts each year.
“It’s difficult to determine how far Congress will go this time to save those NASA programs, but the bigger fight is likely to be with NOAA,” Smith said. NOAA conducts research related to weather, climate and many other fields.
Mr. Trump’s return promises to open a period of turmoil and transformation for NASA as well as the broader space industry in the US. Decisions in the coming months will shake up US space policy.