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.

President Trump vowed to send American astronauts to the planet Mars in his inaugural address, envisioning a moment when the U.S. flag is planted on Martian soil. “We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars,

The president’s Inaugural Address linked landing on the Red Planet with Manifest Destiny, but left many of the specifics unclear.

Trump said the U.S. would pursue its “manifest destiny into the stars” by sending astronauts to plant the flag on Mars. His remarks were met with enthusiasm from SpaceX founder Musk, who gave a thumbs-up to the cameras.

Sky News host Danica De Giorgio says United States President Trump has vowed to be the “first commander and chief to put US astronauts on Mars”.

Elon Musk gives thumbs up after Trump says US will plant flag on Mars Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave an enthusiastic thumbs up on Monday (Jan 20), after newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump announced plans to send astronauts to Mars in his inauguration speech.