Pakistan, June 3 -- US President Donald Trump's 2026 budget proposal includes a $1 billion plan to accelerate Mars exploration-this time, led by private companies. The initiative, called the Commercial Mars Payload Services Program (CMPS), aims to shift more responsibility for deep space missions from NASA to firms like SpaceX and others. It includes funding for new contracts focused on building Mars-ready spacesuits, communication systems, and landing vehicles.

This move signals a major shift in strategy for NASA. Instead of leading every mission itself, the would now act more as a coordinator, working alongside space innovators in the private sector. Elon Musk's SpaceX, already focused on sending humans to Mars, stands to benefit signi...