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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: 5, Interesting) by requerdanos on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:49PM (3 children)
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:16PM (1 child)
Go on, read the whole speach, you can find it online. External enemies, in war, in a space race, whatever, always serve to distract from internal trouble. It was true then, it's been true since, and it's true today, with this announcement.
Kennedy's moon speech was a carefully crafted work of propaganda - kudos to his speech writer(s?). It works on me today, half a century later, even though I *know* it is propaganda. If I ever have to give a motivational speech, I know where to steal from!
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Wednesday December 13 2017, @12:56AM
I have, many times. I was born in 1969, too young to hear the speech, but I grew up against the backdrop of moon landings being "normal."
Same effect here. At the end, he doesn't say we are going to "achieve" the goal, or "reach" the goal; he says we're going to "win." But it still gives me goosebumps to hear it and know that the Apollo program came out of it.
(Score: 3, Funny) by krishnoid on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:29PM
s/go to the moon/build the wall/
Also, this is actually the first time we're going to the moon [space.com], right?