Cruz: Isaacman Commits to Moon, Then Mars

The chairman of the Senate committee that will vote on whether to advance Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA Administrator said today that Isaacman is committed to landing astronauts on the Moon before going to Mars. Questions are swirling about whether the Trump Administration still sees the Moon as a steppingstone to Mars or if they want to abandon the Moon in favor of a singular focus on Mars, the passion of President Trump’s close advisor Elon Musk.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on Isaacman’s nomination on Wednesday.  Committee chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) posted on X this evening that he met with Isaacman and he “committed to having American astronauts return to the lunar surface ASAP so we can develop the technologies needed to go on to Mars.”

Cruz added it must happen during Trump’s term in order to get there ahead of China. “The moon mission MUST happen in President Trump’s term or else China will beat us there and build the first moonbase. Artemis and the Moon-to-Mars Program are critical for American leadership in space!”

This week the Senate Commerce Committee will hear from President Trump’s nominee to be NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman.

During our meeting, Mr. Isaacman committed to having American astronauts return to the lunar surface ASAP so we can develop the technologies needed to go… pic.twitter.com/Obn5ESa4nL

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 7, 2025

Only the Senate gets to vote on whether to confirm presidential nominees, but House members also have made clear they endorse the Moon-to-Mars (M2M) approach, not bypass the Moon to get to Mars.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A fellow Texan, Babin represents Johnson Space Center, home to the NASA astronaut corps.  He called getting American astronauts back on the Moon his “top priority.”  House SS&T’s space subcommittee chair, Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), agrees, as does subcommittee Ranking Member Valerie Foushee (D-NC).

Congress has been very supportive of the M2M plan on a bipartisan basis since it began during Trump’s first term, albeit skeptical of meeting the original 2024 goal. Funding and technical challenges have slowed the program and NASA’s current plan is to land two astronauts on the Moon on the Artemis III mission in mid-2027, just over two years from now.

China’s assertion that it will land taikonauts there by 2030 is a pacing factor.

Getting American astronauts back on the Moon by 2027 or anytime before 2030 will be a technical and financial challenge, however.  Not only must next year’s Artemis II trip around the Moon with four astronauts succeed, but before Artemis III lands, Musk’s SpaceX must demonstrate the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and the Earth-orbiting fuel depots it needs are ready. Not to mention Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuits.

With Congress and the White House intent on cutting government spending, Isaacman is likely to face questions about NASA’s priorities.  Rumors that NASA’s science budget might be cut by 50 percent are out there. Historically Congress has insisted that NASA maintain a balance across its mission areas of science, technology, aeronautics and human spaceflight. That commitment may be put to the test in the current fiscal environment.