President Trump vowed to send astronauts to Mars during his second inaugural address. "We will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars," he said, promising to send astronauts to plant the American flag on Mars. Elon Musk, the SpaceX CEO and Trump ally, was seated behind the president and gave a vigorous thumbs up at the remark.

“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on planet Mars,” he said. Trump’s comments sparked an enthusiastic response from his close ally, SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, who pumped his arms and gave a thumbs up.

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

During his second inauguration speech, President Donald Trump endorsed a Mars mission as a part of America’s push into new horizons.

During his inaugural address, Donald Trump said the United States would consider itself a growing nation under his presidency and he would bring the nation's flag "into new and beautiful horizons." Trump went on to say American astronauts would "plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,

President Trump pledges in inaugural address to pursue policy that 'expands our territory' and to put US astronauts on Mars.