US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington D.C. the United States, on Aug. 2, 2019. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Australia will invest A$150 million ($101 million) in its companies and technology to help US President Donald Trump's bid for a moon landing by 2024 and subsequent US missions to Mars, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said over the weekend.

Morrison, visiting NASA headquarters in Washington, said the five-year investment plan would help businesses support US automation systems, build equipment for space craft and play a role in mineral exploration.

"We're backing Australian businesses to the moon, and even Mars, and back," Morrison said.

The announcement came ­after Morrison made a state ­visit to the White House on ­Friday.

The investment is part of a broader Australian plan to beef up its space sector, with Morrison saying the government wants to triple the size of the sector to A$12 billion and create some 20,000 extra jobs by 2030.

Trump, when asked at a joint news conference with Morrison about the US space program, said the focus was on Mars.

"We're stopping at the moon," he said, according to a transcript.

"The moon is actually a launching pad. That's why we're stopping at the moon. I said, 'Hey, we've already done the moon. That's not so exciting.' They said, 'No, sir, it's a launching pad for Mars.' So we'll be doing the moon but we'll really be doing Mars."