Trump's win could propel Musk's Mars mission to reality

In September, Musk announced that his company, SpaceX, would conduct an unmanned mission to Mars within two years using Starship, a powerful rocket designed for interplanetary travel.

Musk plans to send the first crew to Mars by 2028. Bloomberg reports that the billionaire has already spent over $130 (CAD 185) million supporting Trump and Republican Party candidates to realize these goals.

During his speech at a conference in Saudi Arabia, Musk openly admitted that Trump's victory could help SpaceX break regulatory barriers. "It takes longer to get the permit to launch than to build a giant rocket," Musk complained.

The entrepreneur has had numerous disputes with Joe Biden's administration and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, administrative obstacles are just part of the challenges SpaceX faces. Recent Starship test launches have experienced mishaps. The rocket suffered failures, engine fires, and explosions, indicating that it still requires many improvements.

Another challenge is developing technology to refuel the spaceship. The ultimate goal is to ensure astronauts have appropriate conditions to survive on Mars, which requires creating a life support system that accounts for radiation and harsh environmental conditions on the planet.

Musk is known for setting ambitious—and sometimes unrealistic—deadlines for SpaceX and Tesla, deadlines that his companies subsequently fail to meet. Bloomberg reports that he previously claimed that crewed missions to Mars would take place in 2022 and 2024.

Adam Steltzner, an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, assessed that it is unlikely SpaceX will conduct a crewed mission to Mars by the end of the decade. As he emphasized, many key technologies are still lacking. Donald Trump nonetheless supported Musk's vision.