horn has sign a unexampled directive to shift NASA ’s stress once again , direct at sending humans back to the Moon before going to Mars . As yet , there ’s not really any contingent on how this will materialise .

Making a spoken communication at the White House yesterday , Trump said Space Policy Directive 1 would “ refocus America ’s space program on human exploration and uncovering . ” Spare a thought for inadequate scientific discipline there , eh .

The sign language came 45 years to the day that Apollo 17 landed on the Moon , the last time humans visited our lunar neighbor . As such , Trump was flanked by the last remaining Moon walker from that foreign mission , Jack Schmitt .

“ This time , we will not only plant our flag and forget our footprints – we will install a groundwork for an eventual mission to Mars , and perhaps someday , to many worlds beyond , ” Trumpsaid .

He sign the directive , with Apollo 11 cosmonaut Buzz Aldrin in attending along with Peggy Whitson , who is themost experiencedUS spaceman in history .

This signalise a chemise from the Obama administration , who had focused on missions to Mars rather than going to the Moon . Under Obama , former NASA administrator Charlie Bolden had repeatedly pushed for his Journey to Mars musical theme , tell IFLSciencein 2015that “ giving up on Mars would be disastrous ” .

Well , that ’s exactly what Trump has done , and it once again leaves NASA in no - man ’s land . NASA will not see any fault in its budget as a result of this directive until 2019 , which means that by 2021 , a new President could very well just shift it back again to Mars .

NASA is currently working on a proposal to build a blank post near the Moon , scream theDeep Space Gateway . This is seen as a successor to the International Space Station ( ISS ) , with partners including Russia , Japan , and Europe expected to be involve .

But there has been little to no word about really going back to the surface of the Moon . That requires significant growing and , most importantly , time . With NASA ’s goal perpetually shifting ( it was the Moon under Bush , Mars under Obama , and now the Moon again ) , it ’s safe to say onward motion is pretty slow .

" Under President Trump ’s leading , America will lead in space once again on all fronts , ” said Vice President Pence . Again , though , how ? Without any point , this is very much just bluff and bluster . Not to bring up that the US is already the cosmos - leader in other area like uncrewed planetary geographic expedition .

NASA , once again , has a unexampled goal to aim for . If it ever get there , it may well find it has beenlong beaten .