Former President Donald Trump is backing a \$10 billion boost for NASA’s Artemis program, signaling a national focus on returning astronauts to the Moon—before heading to Mars. The Senate’s “Big Beautiful Bill” supports Artemis and delays Mars ambitions led by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

While Musk has pushed for reusable rockets to reach the Red Planet, Artemis relies on the older, single-use Space Launch System (SLS), targeting a Moon landing by 2026. Musk has called SLS “a waste of taxpayer money” and dismissed the Moon effort as a “distraction.”

This funding shift reverses previous White House plans to cut SLS costs and reflects what some see as Trump’s cooling ties with Musk. As one analyst put it, “This may be more about politics than space.”

NASA now aims to establish a long-term lunar presence through the 2030s, pushing Mars missions further into the future. The move ensures stable funding for Artemis but sidelines SpaceX’s Mars goals unless it aligns with the Moon-first strategy.

The result: a renewed U.S. commitment to the Moon, even if it means delaying Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars.