The United States will return to the Moon by 2028, establish a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, and expand its commercial, technological, and national security capabilities beyond Earth, according to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump outlining a “America First” vision for space.
The executive order, “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” directs federal agencies to align policy, spending, and regulation around a more assertive US posture in orbit, cislunar space, and beyond American space superiority. It frames space leadership as essential to national power, economic growth, and security.
The order links American space dominance to “the Nation’s strength, security, and prosperity,” stating that “superiority in space is a measure of national vision and willpower.” It also calls for policies that advance human discovery, safeguard critical interests, and unleash commercial development.
The US is prioritizing a human return to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program by 2028 and the deployment of the first components of a permanent lunar colony by 2030 under the new policy.
Additionally, the executive order focuses on enabling commercial launch services and accelerating American space superiority in lunar exploration architectures. It also orders efforts to increase the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of launch systems.
It demands that next-generation missile defense technologies be developed and demonstrated by 2028, that threats to US space interests from very low Earth orbit through cislunar space be better detected and countered, and that measures be taken to stop the installation of nuclear weapons in space.
By advancing acquisition reforms and incorporating private space capabilities and American space primacy, the administration also aims to create a more adaptable national security space architecture.
The White House stated in a fact sheet that the directive aims to increase private investment in US space markets by at least $50 billion by 2028 and foster a “vibrant commercial space economy.”
By 2030, the plan calls for replacing the International Space Station with a commercial route, updating launch and return infrastructure, and increasing efficiency through regulatory changes.
The order also emphasizes cutting-edge technologies, such as the installation of nuclear reactors in orbit and on the moon, with a lunar surface reactor scheduled for launch readiness by 2030.
To guarantee the long-term viability of space operations and American space superiority, it demands improved space-based weather forecasting, better positioning and navigation services, better space traffic management, and more robust orbital debris mitigation.
Additionally, the directive encourages the State Department to make sure international civil space agreements reflect US policy interests and enhances collaboration with allies and partners on collective space security.
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