By Dr. Amal Mudallali

The second term of President Donald Trump is expected to bring a sea change to space, ushering in a new and robust era for the “final frontier,” to quote Captain James T. Kirk of “Star Trek.” Trump had an impressive space record in his first term, but his second will be nothing short of transformational if one is to believe what space experts close to his universe are saying.

The word these people use when speaking about Trump’s upcoming space policy is “disruptive.” They do not mean it in a negative way, they use it to stress its transformational nature. They believe that the Trump administration will have a different style, a new emphasis and different priorities in space. But it will be transactional.

Trump will not be alone in driving this policy. He has a new partner, the leader in space, Elon Musk, who campaigned hard for him and is now expected to reap the benefits of his efforts. Trump announced in his victory speech that “a star is born, Elon.” It was obvious from his effusive praise of Musk’s space credentials that the SpaceX founder and CEO would have an oversized role and impact on the second Trump administration, especially when it comes to space.

Trump and Musk see eye to eye on space and Trump attended the launch of the SpaceX Spaceship in October. Musk wants to go to........

© Eurasia Review