Donald Trump's Militarization Of Space

The black hole of Donald Trump’s presidency is spitting out some concerning predicaments for the future of space research and exploration.
This past week President Trump had the privilege of calling the International Space Station to congratulate station commander Peggy Whitson for breaking America's long-duration space flight record at 534 days over the course of three missions.
The amplitude of their conversation focused on NASA’s research and technology that will lay the groundwork for the exploration of Mars. Trump began the discussion of Mars by asking Whitson, “What do you see as timing for actually sending humans to Mars? Is there a schedule and when would you see that happening?” Whitson estimated humans on Mars in approximately the
Trump apparently forgot the details of the bill he signed this March that authorized 19.5 million in funding for NASA. This bill laid out NASA’s plans for its short and long term goals, including the blueprints for sending humans to Mars by the 2030s. The possibility for sending people to the red planet before this time is considerably improbable due to the research still vital to the success of the expedition, and Trump’s insistence on completion in so little time could wreck the entire project.
Professor Tom Pike of the Imperial College London says the NASA timetable simply cannot be shortened. “I wasn’t quite sure whether Trump was misspeaking. Maybe he meant the moon?” Pike says. “He’s got to do it on a realistic timescale, and with the budget that gives it the funding that it would
“This bill changes almost nothing about what NASA is doing. Existing programs stay in place and there is no added funding for Mars.” and added in a later tweet, “Perhaps there will be some future bill that makes a difference for Mars, but this is not it.”
“I think ‘incomplete’ is the right grade,” said John Logsdon from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs when asked to rate Trump’s actions thus far. “There haven’t been any substantive actions of any significance, unless you count the budget.
It seems unfair to discredit the bill entirely, which has brought about some benefits. Astronauts will now receive free healthcare for space-flight related issues for life. Trump plans to relaunch the National Space Councils which could help promote his current space policy. Trump has also been advocating for women in STEM fields by signing two laws that encourage women to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math.
It is not clear if Donald Trump will stick to these policies, especially because of his tendency to go back on his