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.
Mars ambitions
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 that America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient,” the document states.
Under the Trump 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 until 2030. “The Budget reduces the space station’s crew size and onboard research,” the document states. “Crew and cargo flights to the station would be significantly reduced. The station’s reduced research capacity would be focused on efforts critical to the Moon and Mars exploration programs.”
It is likely that Congress will oppose some of these changes, particularly the cuts to science programs and the reduction in activity on the International Space Station. But that story will play out in the coming months as the laborious budget process unfolds.