US astronauts are headed back to the Moon after President Donald J. Trump ordered NASA to focus on manned space missions. Today at a White House ceremony, the President signed White House Space Policy Directive 1, which directs NASA to work with commercial and international partners to send American astronauts to our satellite as the first step to going to Mars and beyond.
Today's signing marks another shift in US space policy, which has been seeking to recapture the success of the tightly focused Apollo program of the 1960s. In recent decades, NASA's manned spaceflight efforts have been marked by a series of false starts, neglect, and sudden changes with each incoming administration. In addition to setting new goals, the directive will influence NASA's Fiscal Year 2019 budget request.
In July, President Trump revived the National Space Council headed by Vice President Michael Pence to advise and implement the President's policy of redirecting US space efforts away from Earth studies and toward deep space exploration. The Council was disbanded in 1993 after protracted infighting during the George H W Bush administration.
According to the new directive, the NASA administrator will "lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the Solar System and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities."
The signing was attended by Representatives of Congress and the National Space Council; Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon; Senator Harrison Schmitt, the second to last astronaut to leave the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission; Peggy Whitson, who holds the record for the most numbers of days in space for any American astronaut; and Christina Koch, a member of the US astronaut class of 2013.
"The directive I am signing today will refocus America's space program on human exploration and discovery," said President Trump. "It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use. This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints – we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond."
The White House video below shows the signing ceremony.
Source: NASA
President Bush “W” wanted to go to the moon and mars, the moon mission was to be between 2015 and 2020, but his proposed Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) should have conduct its first manned mission no later than 2014.....
Didnt happen, why? he provided no added funding for his directive....
President Obama had his own NASA directive, lets focus on Earth science and robotic missions, it’s cheaper and doesn't require asking a bunch of old guys in Congress for more money for something they don't understand....
So in walks President Trump, “lets stop that whole Earth science mess and send people to the moon and beyond”. But your not getting anymore money to do this because tax cuts in a growing economy that primarily favor those that are already wealthy are more important then science....
Why? because it makes a good photo opp....
NASA having to flip it’s focus every eight years is not just bad for morale, but it’s also bad for momentum in an organization. “Stop what your doing, toss away the last four years of work and lets spend the next four planing on the new directive.”.....
We need to find a way to remove NASA from the whims of politics and photo opps and give them the funds to explore.....
NASA has developed a lot of technology that we use almost everyday.