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Why Trump could be interested in Elon Musk’s Mars mission

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Of all the speculations being made about the plans Donald Trump has for the United States, this one may really perk up the ears of space fans in a good way.

“We choose to go to the Moon Mars, not because it is easy, but because it is hard and would be a huge deal for my presidency.”

– Future President Trump speech

The future is anyone’s crystal ball with the Trump administration, but there are some credible breadcrumbs out there worth a second look and arguably optimistic conjecture about a Mars-Trump-Elon Musk connection.

Here’s the gluten trail:

  • Elon Musk has joined Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, signaling Trump’s interest in his business expertise and his access to Trump
  • Musk has had at least one meeting with Trump specifically, and had at least two recent visits to Trump Tower, further confirming Trump’s interest in Musk
  • Musk has said positive things about being able to work with Trump towards energy technology goals and manufacturing in the U.S. (which would include SpaceX)
  • Trump has recently met with historian David Brinkley who specifically cited Trump’s interest in President John F. Kennedy’s famous Moon speech and a mission to the Moon, signaling Trump’s interest in a “big” space goal
  • Trump’s NASA transition team includes several pro-commercial spaceflight faces, SpaceX fans included
  • Trump is interested in cutting discretionary spending, and commercial-government spaceflight partnerships would be an option in line with that path, especially using SpaceX’s lower cost rocket technology
  • Musk’s timeline for SpaceX’s future missions to Mars means they could potentially occur during Trump’s presidency, notably close to reelection campaign season

That last one could be what could pull the lever if the decision came down to the Moon people vs. the Mars people.

It’s no secret that congressional space policy leadership favors the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars, and that itself has significant weight; however, SpaceX is already on the way to sending its Red Dragon capsule to Mars, 2018/2020 being the current launch goal, and redirecting NASA once again to focus instead on the Moon would likely take more time (and money) to do, leaving SpaceX to bask in red planet glory first during reelection season.

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The political picture kind of paints itself, really. The presidential campaign is underway and Trump’s Moon mission, a place the public would possibly see as “been there done that”, is running over budget and likely not even happened yet. Meanwhile, Elon Musk and his SpaceX team have launched their Falcon Heavy cargo, possibly preparing for a second launch, and have either already landed on Mars or about to.

That’s not a pretty picture if you’re President Donald Trump arguing the case for how you’re making America great again.

It’s possible that Trump is really only interested in speaking with Elon Musk about the future of electric cars (maybe that subsidy situation that keeps getting harped on by certain groups on the right?) and/or the unique startup-to-success stories of Elon’s companies, but it would make just as much sense for him to be interested in a Mars mission to unite the country under his leadership. The work is already being done so in a way, Trump just needs to make a few of his famous “deals” to help things along to be able to plant his name on it.

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In that light, a journey to Mars certainly looks like it could unfortunately just be a political decision rather than a grandiose vision thing for the President. After all, Trump hasn’t seemed very interested in our space program overall, choosing to focus on economic matters and non-NASA related national security. However, would it really be a bad thing for him to pursue a Mars mission for purely political motivations? Done right, it’s a win-win for everyone: Trump gets his political boost, humanity gets to celebrate the official beginning of becoming a multiplanetary species via the world of “new space”.

Only time will tell, and hopefully we will have more answers rather than questions in the immediate future.

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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WATCH: SpaceX Starship Flight 10 launch

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is set to launch its tenth test flight of the Starship program, with a launch window that will open at 6:44 p.m. local time, or 7:44 p.m. on the East Coast.

Starship’s tenth test flight was originally scheduled for launch yesterday with a one-hour window that opened at 7:30 p.m. ET, but it was called off 17 minutes before that window even had a chance to open.

Starship Flight 10 rescheduled as SpaceX targets Monday launch

SpaceX moved the flight to tonight. It was also originally scheduled to have a launch window at the same time as Sunday, but it was pushed back 14 minutes to around 6:30 p.m. ET. There are storms in the area, as well as clouds over Starbase, so there is the off chance for another launch delay.

There are several big objectives for this launch, including the expansion of the operating envelope for the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX says there are “multiple landing burn tests planned.”

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The booster will also be performing a few in-flight experiments to help with data collection. Specifically, real-world performance data on future flight profiles and off-nominal scenarios will be on the list of things SpaceX will be looking for.

Starship itself will have a few in-flight objectives that include the deployment of eight Starlink simulators that are similar in size to the next-gen satellites for the internet service. SpaceX was set to test this with Starship’s seventh test flight, which occurred in January 2025. However, the task was abandoned as the vehicle was destroyed before deployment could occur.

Liftoff conditions are currently looking favorable, and SpaceX will be eager to improve upon its Starship launch program as CEO Elon Musk has big plans for it in the coming years.

You can watch the launch below via SpaceX:

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Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area

It looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla looks to be preparing for the potential expansion of the Robotaxi geofence once again, as the company was spotted testing the suite in an area well outside of the Austin service area.

After it first launched the Robotaxi platform on June 22, Tesla has managed to expand its geofence twice, essentially doubling the travel area both times.

The most recent expansion took the size of the geofence from 42 square miles to about 80 square miles, bringing new neighborhoods and regions of the city into the realm of where the driverless vehicles could take passengers.

However, it looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.

Over the weekend, one fan noticed a Robotaxi validation vehicle testing in Bee Cave, Texas, which is roughly 25 minutes from the edge of the current geofence:

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Tesla has been testing vehicles in the western suburbs of Austin for some time, and it seems the company is laying some groundwork to push its geofence expansion into Plaid Mode as competition with Waymo continues to be at the forefront of the conversation.

Waymo has been expanding with Tesla for some time, as the pace of expansion for the two companies has been relatively accelerated for the past couple of months.

Tesla’s expansions of the geofence sent a clear message to competitors and doubters, but it is still aiming to keep things safe and not push the envelope too quickly.

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The geofence expansion is impressive, but Tesla is also focusing on expanding its vehicle fleet in both Austin and the Bay Area, where it launched a ride-hailing service in July.

Tesla Bay Area autonomous fleet to grow to over 100 units: Elon Musk

Still, safety is the priority at the current time.

“We are being very cautious. We do not want to take any chances, so we are going to go cautiously. But the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a hyper-exponential rate,” CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 Earnings Call.

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Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing

“Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is considering making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing due to the EV tax credit expiring in just over a month.

With the $7,500 EV tax credit set to be removed on September 30, Tesla is experiencing increased demand for its Model 3 and Model Y. Customers are doing whatever they can to take delivery of the car they ordered as soon as possible.

The IRS recently adjusted the EV tax credit’s rules slightly.

Tesla set to win big after IRS adjusts EV tax credit rules

Previously, the vehicle had to be delivered by September 30, but a slight tweak the agency made last week will now allow customers to enter a legally binding contract along with a marginal down payment by that date. The delivery can occur after September 30, and the car can still qualify for the credit.

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However, demand is getting so crazy for the Model Y that Tesla is considering a price increase on the all-electric crossover, as well as a potential boost in production output to keep up with orders.

Inventory is dwindling in several markets across the United States, a good sign for the company, as it could have one of its best quarters in recent history in terms of deliveries.

However, Tesla is thinking of bumping the price slightly, Raj Jegannathan, the company’s VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, said on X:

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The price adjustment would come as a response to increasing production output, Jegannathan’s response seems to indicate.

The bump would help Tesla’s margins, but the idea that the company could adjust pricing by increasing it would not be popular with potential car buyers. It might encourage some buyers to put their orders in sooner, hoping to avoid a new, higher price.

However, it could also steer some buyers away from putting an order in on a vehicle, especially if the price increase is more than a few hundred dollars.

Tesla boosted the price of the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck recently, but brought in a “Luxe Package” to help justify it.

It comes with Free Full Self-Driving, Free lifetime Supercharging, four years of premium service, and lifetime Premium Connectivity.

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