NASA

NASA

NASA



NASA

NASA

NASA

NASA

NASA

NASA

NASA

On Friday, the space agency released what it called a "mid-year report" on NASA five months into the presidency of Donald Trump. The nearly five-minute video is mostly a chronological summary of NASA's announcements so far this year and seems designed to highlight all of the things the new administration has accomplished in space. However, there are some curious inclusions and omissions in the promotional video that provide clues about where NASA is headed under the new administration.

Planetary science

The exploration of most of the Solar System enjoys widespread support from Congress, and evidently the Trump administration as well. The video celebrates the announcement of the Lucy and Psyche missions to asteroids, Cassini's exploits at the Saturn system, Juno's scientific discoveries at Jupiter, and the Hubble Space Telescope's apparent confirmation of plumes on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa.

However, the video makes no mention of Mars at all, the planet where NASA has by far the most assets of any world other than Earth—several rovers and orbiters studying the Red Planet's surface and atmosphere for clues of its past habitability for life. NASA has made a number of significant discoveries about Mars this year, such as confirming the absence of carbonate in rocks there. But none merit mention in the promotional video.

Journey to Mars

The Red Planet is also excluded from the video's discussion when it comes to human exploration. Prior to this year, the agency's oft-stated goal was sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. This "Journey to Mars" had been a frequent talking point for then-Administrator Charles Bolden and other agency leaders. They talked about the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as key components of this mission.

However, as Ars reported earlier this year, NASA has significantly scaled back its promotion of the "Journey to Mars" on social media. Additionally, during a ceremony earlier this month to introduce NASA's 12 new additions to its astronaut corps, neither acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot nor Vice President Mike Pence referenced this journey. "One of these folks behind us could be one that takes that next iconic giant leap and says the words, similar to what Neil Armstrong said when he stepped onto the Moon,” Lightfoot said. “That’s what the future is for these folks. And it’s very, very exciting when you think about it.”

The new video has two clear opportunities to promote the Journey to Mars. The first comes after it shows President Trump signing a NASA transition authorization act, but the narrator simply states, "The bipartisan legislation reaffirms Congress' commitment to the agency." Later, when the video shows Pence introducing the new astronauts, the narrator says the new fliers will "carry out exploration missions that will take humans farther into space than ever before." It then shows a photo of Orion flying around the Moon on its way to a distant lunar orbit.

It is true that NASA is presently scheduled to spend the next 15 years exploring cislunar space with humans before embarking on Mars missions in the 2030s. But the complete absence of Mars promotion from this video suggests that senior administration and Congressional leaders are seriously considering lunar surface landings after that instead of pressing on directly to Mars. There are a number of reasons for this, including the potential for commerce on the Moon, as well as geopolitical strategy.

Earth science

The other planet not mentioned in the video is Earth, which NASA's charter in 1958 specifically calls upon the new federal agency to study. NASA has made some significant discoveries about Earth this year, from clouds and ice to the radiation belts that surround the planet.

But Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the climate change science, and like a lot of Republicans in Congress, he likely believes it is not NASA's place to study how humans are changing the planet. We can expect these priorities to be reflected in the agency's budget going forward.

Listing image by NASA