Australian PM Pledges $150 Million to Support NASA’s Mission to Mars

Samuel Allegri
By Samuel Allegri
September 21, 2019Australia
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Australian PM Pledges $150 Million to Support NASA’s Mission to Mars
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he meets with Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 20, 2019. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Australian PM Scott Morrison revealed during a visit to NASA a $150 million investment in new technology and business to reinforce the American space agency’s ambitions of going to the moon and Mars.

Morrison said in a statement that the $150 million dollar pledge will have the Australian Space Agency “foster the new ideas and hi-tech skilled jobs that will make Australian businesses a partner of choice to fit out NASA missions,” reported The Guardian.

“The government’s support means Australian businesses and researchers will have the opportunity to showcase their immense knowledge and capabilities in projects that can support NASA’s Moon to Mars mission, such as Project Artemis and the Lunar Gateway,” stated Morrison.

“The Australian Space Agency will work closely with NASA to identify how they can best support their missions after the signing of a joint statement of intent on expanding cooperation.”

Trump was asked on Friday in the Oval Office about the cooperation between the United States and Australia to develop the space program.

“We’re doing a great program,” President Trump said, “And you know, we’re … going to Mars. We’re stopping at the moon. The moon is actually a launching pad. That’s why we’re stopping at the moon.”

“I said, ‘Hey, we’ve done the moon. That’s not so exciting.’ They said, ‘No, sir. It’s a launching pad for Mars.’ So we’ll be doing the moon. But we’ll really be doing Mars. And we’ll be—we’re making tremendous progress.”

The remarks were similar to a message President Trump wrote on Twitter earlier this year: “For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon – We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!” said Trump.

In October of 2017, Trump mentioned the ambitious idea: “We will return Americans astronauts to the moon, not only to leave behind footprints and flags but to build the foundation we need to send Americans to Mars and beyond.”

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