According to CCTV News, on Thursday (18th) Eastern Time, Trump signed an executive order setting out a vision for an "America First" space policy to ensure that the United States "leads the world" in space exploration, security and commerce. The executive order aims to return astronauts to the moon through NASA's Artemis space program with an eye toward establishing a permanent presence on the moon.
Specifically, according to a statement released by the White House, the order strengthens NASA's current plan to return Americans to the moon by 2028 and establish initial facilities for a permanent lunar outpost by 2030. It also reiterated NASA's plans to develop nuclear energy in space, directing the deployment of nuclear reactors on the moon and in orbit.
The order also calls for stimulating private sector innovation and investment by upgrading launch infrastructure and developing commercial pathways to replace the International Space Station by 2030.
The order directs the Advisor to the President for Science and Technology to coordinate national space policy efforts and directs federal departments and agencies to work together to implement the order, including streamlining procurement processes, implementing relevant space security strategies, and ensuring appropriate human resources are in place to achieve these goals.
The order further seeks to develop next-generation missile defense technology by 2028 as part of Trump’s Golden Dome initiative and calls for the development of capabilities to detect and track threats to the United States from low Earth orbit and cislunar space.
Overall, the executive order is a comprehensive plan that touches on many aspects of space policy, including proposing that the government can reform the way it acquires space assets and invests in technology fields, and predicts that the U.S. space market will attract at least $50 billion in additional investment by 2028.
"Space superiority is a measure of national vision and willpower, and the technologies developed by the United States to achieve this goal have greatly contributed to the nation's strength, security, and prosperity. Therefore, the United States must pursue a space policy that expands the scope of human exploration, safeguards the nation's vital economic and security interests, unlocks commercial development potential, and lays the foundation for a new era of space." The White House wrote in a statement.
Earlier this year, the U.S. government proposed phasing out the current Artemis moon-landing mission and replacing it with a more cost-effective commercial plan. Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers have since rallied behind the Artemis program, warning it would put the United States at a disadvantage in the space race.
According to NASA's original plan, the Artemis 3 mission should be carried out in 2024. However, NASA announced last year that the Artemis 2 mission was postponed to April 2026 and the Artemis 3 mission was postponed to 2027. It should be noted that the Artemis 2 mission is to send astronauts into orbit around the moon, circle the moon once and return to Earth. The goal of the Artemis 3 mission is to reach the South Pole of the Moon.