PRESIDENT Donald Trump has announced that the United States will send man back to the moon for the first since 1972.
Trump signed the “Space Policy Directive 1” and said: “We are the leader and we’re going to stay the leader, and we’re going to increase it many fold,”
The Space Policy Directive will establish a foundation for a mission to the moon with the goal of going to Mars.
“This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars,” Trump said. “And perhaps, someday, to many worlds beyond.”
U.S. Vs China
Back in June, China’s space official said the country was making “preliminary” preparations to send a man to the moon, the latest goal in China’s ambitious lunar exploration program.
Trump’s signing ceremony for the directive included former lunar astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Harrison Schmitt and current astronaut Peggy Whitson, whose 665 days in orbit is more time in space than any other American and any other woman worldwide.
The ceremony also featured a moon rock 3.8 billion years old collected by Schmitt’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Trump said he was taking a giant step toward “reclaiming America’s proud destiny in space.”
“And space has so much to do with so many other applications, including a military application,” he said without elaboration.
In approving the new policy, Trump abandoned what had been a goal of his predecessor, President Obama, who cut NASA funding.
NASA said initial funding for the new policy would be included in its budget request for fiscal year 2019.
“NASA looks forward to supporting the president’s directive strategically aligning our work to return humans to the moon, travel to Mars and opening the deeper solar system beyond,” said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot in a statement.