NEW DELHI: In a significant boost to space exploration, the Donald Trump-led US government has proposed $1 billion in new investments for Mars exploration programmes.

The White House’s 2026 budget proposal, released late on Friday, also allocates over $7 billion for lunar exploration.

“By allocating over $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programmes, the Budget ensures that America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient,” the Budget document said.

The budget proposal also includes a new NASA initiative called the Commercial Mars Payload Services Program (CMPS).