NASA has plans to return humans to the moon with the Artemis mission—but Elon Musk’s preference for Mars could have influence in the Trump administration.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is calling for NASA to ditch its Moon program, arguing that the "Moon is a distraction" and that "we're going straight to Mars" instead in a recent tweet. In a separate tweet on Christmas Day,

Elon Musk emphasizes that Mars is crucial for human survival, envisioning it as a backup plan against Earth's fragility. His SpaceX's Starship aims for affordable interplanetary travel, with plans for uncrewed missions over the next two years.