Patrick Caughill reports that a major new directive came from the New Administration is prioritizing the administration’s efforts to advance space exploration, chiefly by sending U.S. astronauts back to the Moon and beyond to Mars. It stated that this order will “refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery.” At the ceremony on December 11, the President finally said something important, “Imagine the possibility waiting in those big beautiful stars if we dare to dream big. That’s what our country is doing again, we’re dreaming big.”
The United States hasn’t sent an astronaut beyond low-earth orbit since 1972. This directs the NASA Administrator to lead a new U.S. space exploration program, one that will bring Americans back to the Moon and, and after some practice and preparations, onward to the Red Planet. Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. is presently acting administrator for NASA. President Trump nominated Jim Bridenstine for the role in September, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Given his history of doing the opposite of what scientists and technology experts recommend, the President’s motivations for this order are the question of the hour, especially given that (as previously noted) NASA is already actively working to put astronauts on Mars. More funding and focus on space exploration is fantastic, but coming from an administration that denies the basic science of climate change, it’s hard to celebrate. [That is too bad because the new plan has considerable merit but many (67% of the U.S. citizens) may not support the idea because the new directive has come from a new administration looking for ways to divert attention away from his potentially serious problems with likely impeachment.]
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