NASA admin candidate Jared Isaacman believes the US can handle missions to both the Moon and Mars at the same time. Isaac Man’s ambitious goal was presented in a billionaire entrepreneur Senate confirmation hearing On April 9th, a conflict with Longheld experts’ opinions on a safe and viable trajectory to expand human existence in space.
“As the president said, we prioritize sending astronauts to Mars. Along the way, we inevitably have the ability to return to the moon,” Isaacman said in his opening remarks on Wednesday. “We don’t need to make it a binary decision for the “Moon and Mars.” Or, “The Moon must come first with Mars.” I think we may be in parallel with these efforts,” he added in a later question.
Federal law explicitly directs The NASA administrator “establishes a program to develop sustainable human existence in the Sisruner space or the Moon, including robust precursor programs to promote exploration in space, science, commerce, and excellence in the United States, as a stepping stone to future exploration of Mars and other destinations.”
“If it’s the law, I’m committed to it,” Isaacman said in accordance with multiple requests to confirm understanding of the law.
It’s a long time to go back to the moon need Steps before attempting human missions to Mars. There are countless logistical and technical considerations, but it essentially depends on learning to walk before you try to run a marathon.
“We learn how to use the moon’s resources to help us build things in the future as we go,” said former NASA administrator Bill Nelson. 2022 Press Conference. “It’s not a three-day trip, not 150,000 miles away, but millions and millions of miles away, if not a few years of travel.”
On the other hand, there is also the issue of funding efforts. a NASA research has been presented At the 2016 International Conference on Environmental Systems, it was estimated that it would cost around $5 trillion to send astronauts to Mars, with an additional $2 billion for life support systems. In March, President Trump’s initiative, known as the Department of Government’s Efficiency (DOGE), directed NASA to cut its $420 billion “unnecessary contracts.” $25.3 billion 2025 Budget. When asked for ideas on fundraising and staffing, Isaacman said he was “unfamiliar with” in detail.
“NASA has a pretty extraordinary budget. I think we can do something nearly impossible.”
At its peak in 1965-66, NASA funds accounted for about 4% of the federal budget, but that amount steadily declined over the next decades. In 2024, only 0.5% of the federal budget was allocated to agents.
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