Trump wants to 'plant the Stars and Stripes' on Mars. How long will it take to get there?

With key private sector space executives in attendance for his Monday inauguration, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. will prioritize space exploration during his second term.

"We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars," Trump said. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a longtime proponent of Mars exploration, threw his hands into the air during the standing ovation that followed.

The company is one of NASA's largest contractors and is one of several currently working on projects related to Mars. So far, only unmanned rovers and orbiters have made it to the Red Planet.

When will the U.S. go to Mars?

SpaceX's Starship rocket is designed for such Mars missions (in addition to Moon landings), according to Musk. But the vehicle's seventh and most recent flight test Thursday suffered an in-flight explosion ? or "rapid unscheduled disassembly" as the company termed it ? that resulted in its complete destruction.

But NASA administrator Bill Nelson said such failures are necessary to inform future successes. The Starship's first three launches also ended in explosions.

Musk, undeterred, said the company still plans to launch uncrewed missions to the Red Planet as early as 2026, when the planets' orbits will next align. (Earth/Mars "transfer windows," as such periods are known, occur every 26 months.)

If the unmanned Starship landings go well, Musk argued that crewed landings ? likely with American astronauts ? could potentially occur in 2028, before Trump leaves office.

Musk, however, is more aggressive in his predictions than NASA. The U.S. space agency aims to put crewed landers onto Mars "in the 2030s," according to its "Journey to Mars" framework.

Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at USA TODAY is funded by a grant from Outrider Foundation. Outrider Foundation does not provide editorial input. You can reach Davis via email at dwinkie@usatoday.com or via the Signal encrypted messaging app at 770-539-3257.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump vows to plant flag on Mars as Musk celebrates