Loren Grush, writing at The Verge, on the mark Obama left on NASA:
In the space community, Obama will undoubtedly be heralded for focusing on stronger partnerships with the private sector. And Obama has made a big commitment to NASA’s Earth Science programs, as well as the agency’s investments in technology development.
But not all of Obama’s decisions for NASA have been met with praise. The Space Shuttle program ended during his administration, and the US has had no way of sending people to space without cooperation from Russia. And NASA has gone through a pivotal transformation in recent years, as a result of Obama. The president shifted NASA’s focus from a return to the Moon to a human mission to Mars.
There are still a lot of questions about what NASA under a Trump administration will look like. If I had to guess, I would say that the Journey to Mars program will be pivoted again, if not canned altogether in favor of a moon mission. Some Republicans really like the moon.