Hold onto your space helmets — Donald Trump is back with his eyes on Mars.
U.S. president just pitched a plan to raise a cool $1 billion from the private sector to turbocharge America’s return to the Moon and launch humans to Mars, according to Phys.org.
In a video released Monday, Trump called for a “public-private space partnership” and urged “American companies, investors, and innovators” to step up with major funding. “Together, we will go to the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” Trump said, calling space “the next frontier for American greatness.”
Yes, he really said that.
This isn’t a sudden obsession. Trump previously launched the Artemis Accords in 2020 and even established the U.S. Space Force. Now, as he seeks a return to the White House, space is back on his political radar — big time.
What’s different now? The money.
He’s not asking Congress for billions — he’s calling on business leaders to pony up, pointing to companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing as examples of how public-private teamwork already works. “This isn’t just government spending,” Trump said. “It’s investment in the future.”
Trump envisions “a vibrant American space economy” that could create jobs and keep the U.S. dominant in space exploration. And yes, he slipped in a dig at China, warning that “the Chinese Communist Party is working around the clock” to beat the U.S. to the Moon and Mars.
Classic Trump.
While NASA already has its sights set on sending astronauts to the Moon by 2026 under the Artemis program — and Mars in the 2030s — Trump wants private cash to boost speed and ambition.
Whether Elon Musk signs that billion-dollar check remains to be seen.
But the message is clear: Trump wants America leading the interplanetary race, and he’s betting billionaires will help get it done.