---
title: "Biden May Slow Down Moon Program to Focus NASA on Climate Change"
description: "When Joe Biden takes office, he may shift NASA's priorities away from space exploration and toward a renewed focus on climate change."
date: "2020-11-09"
modified: "2020-11-09"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/biden-slow-moon-program-focus-nasa-climate-change"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Climate Change"
  - "Environment"
  - "Moon"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "biden"
  - "climate change"
  - "NASA"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Biden May Slow Down Moon Program to Focus NASA on Climate Change

![When Joe Biden takes office, he may shift NASA's priorities away from space exploration and toward a renewed focus on climate change.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/biden-slow-artemis-focus-nasa-climate-change.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA\</em\>*

## Looking Inward

When Joe Biden takes office, NASA may find itself making a hard pivot.

The Trump administration brought about a major drive to explore outward, with ambitious goals like sending crewed missions [to the Moon](<https://futurism.com/trump-signed-directive-send-us-astronauts-moon>) and [and eventually Mars](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/trump-offered-nasa-unlimited-budget-mars>). But Biden may be less interested in crewed missions, *[SpaceNews ](<https://spacenews.com/biden-administration-expected-to-emphasize-climate-science-over-lunar-exploration-at-nasa/>)*[reports](<https://spacenews.com/biden-administration-expected-to-emphasize-climate-science-over-lunar-exploration-at-nasa/>), potentially putting them on the backburner for a renewed focus on [studying climate change](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/biden-rejoin-paris-climate-accord-first-day-presidency>).

## Blue Dot

The report is mainly speculation because Biden hasn't yet commented on changing NASA's priorities. But *SpaceNews* points to a line from the Democratic Party platform, released in July, that says "Democrats additionally support strengthening NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth observation missions to better understand how climate change is impacting our home planet." Notably, the platform did not mention the Trump administration's 2024 target.

*SpaceNews* also pointed to remarks by former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver at a Saturday conference.

"Managing the Earth’s ability to sustain human life and biodiversity will likely, in my view, dominate a civil space agenda for a Biden-Harris administration," Garver said at the event, adding that "I don’t know anyone who thinks we’re going to get there by 2024" and no "matter who won, this was going to be an impossible goal."

## Grounded Look

Focusing more on climate change and our own planet could be a popular move. A [2019 poll revealed](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/americans-dont-care-mars-poll>) that Americans, unlike Trump, didn't really care about reaching Mars compared to other NASA priorities like climate change or researching ways to fend off killer asteroids.

"NASA is a national asset, and if properly directed and incentivized, we can make meaningful contributions to sustaining humanity," Garver added.

**READ MORE:** [Biden administration expected to emphasize climate science over lunar exploration at NASA](<https://spacenews.com/biden-administration-expected-to-emphasize-climate-science-over-lunar-exploration-at-nasa/>) \[*SpaceNews*\]

**More on Biden:** *[Biden Says He'll Rejoin Paris Climate Accord on First Day of Presidency](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/biden-rejoin-paris-climate-accord-first-day-presidency>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)