President Donald Trump set a bold new goal in his inauguration speech. He wants to go to Mars. Details are thin, but the aspiration should benefit Elon Musk’s SpaceX and a bevy of publicly traded commercial space stocks.

During his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said he wants 'American astronauts' on Mars. Where does a future Mars mission currently stand?

In his 29-minute Inaugural Address, Trump promised to defeat inflation and to “end the chronic disease epidemic.” He promised national power so great that it could “stop all wars,” and expand the nation’s territory. He even promised to “restore American promise.”

In his prepared remarks, Trump, a longtime backer of U.S.-led space exploration and exploitation, singled out Mars and left the moon hanging.

Donald Trump's bizarre inauguration day was packed with gaffes, executive orders and a number of unexpected celebrity appearances - here are some of the moments you may have missed

In his inauguration speech, President Donald Trump reignited America’s space ambitions with a bold declaration: a mission to Mars. Promising to plant the Stars and Stripes on the Red Planet, Trump’s vision to invigorate the US space industry and redefine the nation’s role as a leader in extraterrestrial exploration sent share prices of companies

Mr Musk is in charge of Mr Trump's newly created Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE). Elon Musk's starring role in the new Donald Trump administration was confirmed as he appeared front and centre of his inauguration proceedings - and witnessed him pledge a mission to Mars.

President Donald Trump plans to pardon people convicted for participation in the January 6 Capitol riot, which may include two of its organizers: Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, and Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, ABC News reported Monday.

On Tuesday, 10 companies—mostly under the space exploration, energy, and quantum computing sectors—registered the highest gains.

Trump did not address how his Mars call might affect NASA’s current plans for a Moon mission. NASA in December pushed back the anticipated launch dates for the Artemis II and Artemis III crewed lunar missions. Artemis II is now scheduled for April 2026 and Artemis III for mid-2027.

President Trump has announced a bold Mars mission to plant the U.S. flag on the Red Planet, an ambition shared by Elon Musk's SpaceX.