President Donald Trump informed lawmakers that U.S. astronauts will sooner or later carry the American flag to Mars and past throughout a speech earlier than the joint session of Congress late Tuesday (March 5).
“We’re going to conquer the huge frontiers of science, and we’re going to lead humanity into area and plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far past,” Trump informed Congress throughout his speech to a joint Senate and Home of Representatives on Tuesday night time.
“And thru all of it, we’re going to rediscover the unstoppable energy of the American spirit, and we’re going to renew limitless promise of the American dream,” Trump mentioned.
Associated: Presidential visions for area exploration
Trump’s feedback, which closed a nearly two-hour speech to Congress, echoed his previous calls to ship astronauts to Mars on the marketing campaign path. He additionally celebrated the area feats of SpaceX and its founder Elon Musk throughout his election night time victory speech in November, and hailed the Crimson Planet once more throughout his inauguration, when he mentioned america would pursue its “manifest future into the celebrities.”
Musk, who’s overseeing dramatic federal cost-cutting efforts for Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), attended Tuesday night time’s speech and waved as Trump acknowledged him for his DOGE efforts. The SpaceX CEO has lengthy mentioned sending astronauts to Mars is a major objective for his spaceflight firm. SpaceX at present flies NASA astronauts to and from the Worldwide Area Station and is constructing the large Starship megarocket to land Artemis astronauts on the moon by 2027.
Associated: The American flag in area — In pictures
Throughout Tuesday night time’s speech, Trump additionally known as on Congress to approve the funding wanted for a brand new missile protection defend to defend the nation towards future threats.
“As commander in chief, my focus is on constructing probably the most highly effective army of the long run,” he informed Congress. “As a primary step, I’m asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art golden dome missile protection defend to guard our homeland, all made in the united statesA.”
Such a missile protection system might be much like the Iron Dome system Israel makes use of to defend towards incoming ballistic missiles. Trump mentioned a brand new “golden dome” system for america would understand the missile protection objectives of the so-called “Star Wars” program proposed by President Ronald Reagan within the Nineteen Eighties.
“Ronald Reagan wished to do it way back, however the know-how simply wasn’t there, not even shut. However now we have now the know-how. It’s unbelievable, really,” Trump mentioned. “It is a very harmful world. We must always have it.”
