The U.S. Congress Is Alarmed At Elon Musk’s Plan To Cancel The NASA Moon Landing

Elon Musk’s proposal to shift NASA’s focus from the Moon to Mars is meeting with strong opposition from Congress. The SpaceX CEO and soon-to-be head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has dismissed the Moon as a ‘distraction’ and is pushing for a direct Martian mission. But lawmakers are ready to fight any effort to scuttle NASA’s Artemis program, which plans to send humans back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Former astronaut and Arizona Representative Mark Kelly is among the critics who say the investment in Artemis is worth it. “We’ve invested a lot of time, effort, and money into Artemis, and we want to finish the mission,” Kelly said. A bypass of the Moon is a mistake, said Representative Brian Babin, a Texas Republican and leader of the House space committee, echoing these sentiments.

Musk has derided the lunar mission as a ‘jobs-maximizing program,’ but has not yet addressed the fact that Artemis is way over budget and way behind schedule. But his vision fits with the evolving interest of president-elect Donald Trump in Mars exploration, which is fueled by Musk’s influence. While Trump initially pushed to speed up NASA’s Moon landing timeline during his first presidency, his relationship with Musk could turn his support to Mars, particularly since he’s so susceptible to persuasion by close allies.

But Congress is unlikely to go along. If Artemis is sidelined, Casey Dreier, head of space policy at the Planetary Society, predicts substantial congressional resistance. But lawmakers who control NASA’s budget seem determined to protect the program.

Musk, who has a reputation for being combative, has already demonstrated he is willing to use political pressure, including threatening to challenge dissenting Republicans. It’s unclear whether Congress can keep Artemis on track or Musk can sway NASA’s priorities toward Mars. But what is clear is that the fight over the future of space exploration is just starting.