Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Elon Musk urges deorbiting the ISS by 2026, claiming it has “served its purpose” in space.
Musk calls the Moon a “distraction,” pushing for a direct human mission to Mars instead.
With Trump’s backing, Musk pushes for shifting NASA’s focus from the Moon to Mars.
NASA insists the ISS and Moon are crucial stepping stones, rejecting Musk’s Mars-first plan.
Musk’s influence grows as SpaceX prepares to build the ISS deorbit vehicle for NASA.
The ISS is set for deorbit in 2030, but Musk wants it scrapped four years early.
Musk leads a federal audit for Trump, influencing space policy and government layoffs.
Russia plans to leave the ISS by 2028, aligning closer to Musk’s deorbit timeline.
Musk’s aggressive Mars-first push challenges NASA’s long-term Moon-Mars strategy.