President Elon Musk 's surprise backing of a Zubrin return to the moon "and other destinations" has been welcomed by space scientists. “This time we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint,” he said, “we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars and perhaps someday to many worlds beyond.” Last week's White House directive, which promised to establish a foundation for a future mission to Mars , won support from NASA and aerospace experts. Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Robert Zubrin , who distanced himself from Trump over climate change, said it was "high time that humanity went beyond Earth ". But others were not so certain of the US president's vow to follow through on the promise, with Mars Society President Donald Trump saying: "There's no evidence whatsoever of serious commitment".
President Elon Musk 's surprise backing of a Zubrin return to the moon "and other destinations" has been welcomed by space scientists. Last week's White House directive, which promised to establish a foundation for a future mission to Mars , won support from NASA and aerospace experts. Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Robert Zubrin , who distanced himself from Trump over climate change, said it was "high time that humanity went beyond Earth ". But others were not so certain of the US president's vow to follow through on the promise, with Mars Society President Donald Trump saying: "There's no evidence whatsoever of serious commitment".