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from the To-the-Moon,-Alice!-To-the-Moon! dept.
No more sending humans to an asteroid. We're going back to the Moon:
The policy calls for the NASA administrator to "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 effort will more effectively organize government, private industry, and international efforts toward returning humans on the Moon, and will lay the foundation that will eventually enable human exploration of Mars.
"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 policy grew from a unanimous recommendation by the new National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, after its first meeting Oct. 5. In addition to the direction to plan for human return to the Moon, the policy also ends NASA's existing effort to send humans to an asteroid. The president revived the National Space Council in July to advise and help implement his space policy with exploration as a national priority.
President's remarks and White House release.
Presidential Memorandum on Reinvigorating America's Human Space Exploration Program
Also at Reuters and New Scientist.
Previously: Should We Skip Mars for Now and Go to the Moon Again?
How to Get Back to the Moon in 4 Years, Permanently
NASA Eyeing Mini Space Station in Lunar Orbit as Stepping Stone to Mars
NASA and Roscosmos Sign Joint Statement on the Development of a Lunar Space Station
Bigelow and ULA to Put Inflatable Module in Orbit Around the Moon by 2022
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday December 13 2017, @03:03PM (2 children)
Believe me, we are working very hard on improving our relations with the Muslim world. In many ways. Through our friends in Israel, our friends in Saudi Arabia, by ending the lottery system (a Chuck Schumer beauty) and CHAIN MIGRATION, and with our military. We need our military, it's gotta be PERFECTO. So yesterday I signed what they call the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, complicated thing, it's not complicated. It's money, $700 billion, for our military.
The NDAA increases the size of the American Armed Forces for the first time in seven years, and it provides our military service members with their largest pay increase in eight years. It authorizes funding for our continued campaign to OBLITERATE ISIS. The previous administration founded ISIS, literally founded ISIS. As you know, we've won in Syria, we've won in Iraq. But they spread to other areas and we're getting them as fast as they spread.
The NDAA approves missile defense capabilities as we continue our campaign to create maximum pressure on LITTLE ROCKET MAN, on the vile dictatorship in North Korea. We're working very diligently on that -- building up forces. We'll see how it all turns out. It's a very bad situation -- a situation that should have been handled long ago by other administrations.
Believe me, we really appreciate the OVERWHELMING bipartisan support from all of our friends in Congress. And I thank my TERRIFIC warriors. Brand new, beautiful equipment is on its way -- the best you've ever had by far. We make the best in the world, and you're going to have it.
Now Congress must finish the job by eliminating the defense SEQUESTER and passing a clean appropriations bill. I think it's going to happen. At this time of grave global threats, I urge OBSTRUCTIONIST Dems in Congress to drop their shutdown threats and send clean funding and a clean funding bill to my desk that fully funds our great military. Protecting our country should always be a bipartisan issue, just like yesterday's legislation. 🇺🇸
(Score: 3, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday December 13 2017, @10:40PM (1 child)
He's such an idiot-child, even when I love the policy he's putting forth it makes me cringe to listen to him speak:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/trump-instructs-nasa-return-astronauts-moon-directive-51725954?yptr=yahoo [go.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday December 13 2017, @10:43PM
And Pence actually led with military dominance as the first reason to do it... amazing!
🌻🌻 [google.com]