Space industry experts told Business Insider that Musk's influence over Trump could help advance his business interests, including sending the first crewed mission to Mars. "I'm hugely optimistic about what's going to happen in space now," Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, told Business Insider. Hanlon's optimism isn't unfounded, especially if Trump's second term focuses on space as much as his first. AdvertisementDuring his first term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump's administration founded the Space Force, re-launched the National Space Council, and established NASA's Artemis program. A spokesperson for Trump's campaign said that Musk's ideas and efficiency will benefit federal bureaucracy but his role in Trump's administration remains under wraps.

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