Frank Sinatra never quite got someone to fly him to the moon, but if things go according to plan, President Donald Trump's "national space policy" could see Americans stay on the moon.
Sinatra would be proud.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced today that the United States is looking to “return Americans to the Moon,” which means that the U.S. is setting its sights on establishing a “NASA Moon Base.”
The president's "national space policy" was announced at an event called "Ignition" held at NASA Headquarters. On social media, Isaacman noted that the U.S. is “prioritizing surface operations and scalable infrastructure.”
What does this mean?
The NASA administrator shared that the effort includes “frequent robotic landings and mobility testing including MoonFall drones”; “starting in 2027 nearly monthly cadence of equipment and rovers with scientific payloads landing on the moon”; “investments in power, communications, and surface mobility”: and “scalable infrastructure to support long-term human presence.”
In short, the U.S. wants to “build the foundation for an enduring lunar base and take the next step toward Mars.”
Isaacman, who is a commercial astronaut, pilot, entrepreneur, and the 15th administrator of NASA, also shared that the president wants to “unleash the golden age of space exploration,” adding that President Trump wants to see the U.S. create the “first interplanetary nuclear powered spacecraft.”
In a statement, Isaacman said, “NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again, to return to the Moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a Moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space."
"This is why it is essential we leave an event like Ignition with complete alignment on the national imperative that is our collective mission. The clock is running in this great‑power competition, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years,” he added.
“If we concentrate NASA’s extraordinary resources on the objectives of the National Space Policy, clear away needless obstacles that impede progress, and unleash the workforce and industrial might of our nation and partners, then returning to the Moon and building a base will seem pale in comparison to what we will be capable of accomplishing in the years ahead,” Isaacman concluded.
