The U.S. Congress is expressing displeasure after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that the Moon was a distraction and that NASA should better focus immediately on a mission to Mars.

Politico reports that lawmakers who control NASA’s budget are ready to confront the possible influence of Musk, who is proposing to abandon the Artemis lunar landing program for his ambitions to conquer Mars.
Musk has previously criticized Artemis’ mission, calling it a program that focuses more on job creation than results. He has repeatedly called attention to budget overruns and significant delays in implementation.
Nevertheless, many politicians support the continuation of the one-month program. Mark Kelly, former astronaut and Arizona state representative, said, “We’ve already invested a lot of resources in Artemis, and NASA needs to complete this mission.”
He was joined by Republican Brian Babin, chairman of the House Space Committee, who emphasized: “To bypass the moon would be a mistake.”

Now, President Donald Trump has not expressed a clear position on this issue. During his first term, he actively supported NASA’s program to return to the Moon by 2024, but later showed interest in Mars missions, particularly influenced by Musk’s ideas. Given that Trump often agrees with the last opinion heard or with those who most support him, there is a risk that he could reorient U.S. space priorities.
However, Congress is likely to put up strong resistance. Casey Dreier, a space policy expert at the Planetary Society, said, “Congress will oppose any attempt to change NASA’s course.”
Elon Musk, who is known for his intransigence, can influence politicians. He has already threatened to support primaries against those Republicans who disagree with his ideas, and will likely continue to lobby for his Mars plan.
Earlier we reported on how Elon Musk threatened to disrupt the colonization of Mars if Donald Trump lost.