Fact Sheets

# Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches a New Age of American Space Achievement

The White House
December 18, 2025

ENSURING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order that sets a bold vision for an America First space policy, ensuring the United States leads the world in space exploration, security, and commerce.

- The Order calls for Americans’ return to the Moon by 2028, and the establishment of initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030.
- The Order directs the deployment of nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030.
- The Order ensures our ability to detect, characterize, and counter the full range of security threats to U.S. space interests.
- The Order spurs private sector innovation and investment by upgrading launch infrastructure and developing a commercial pathway to replace the International Space Station by 2030.
- The Order directs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to coordinate National Space Policy efforts, and Federal departments and agencies to work together on the Order’s implementation, including streamlining procurement, implementing relevant space security strategies, and ensuring an appropriate workforce to accomplish these goals.

SECURING AMERICA’S NATIONAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS: At a time when our adversaries are challenging American space leadership, President Trump is securing and defending vital American interests in, from, and to space.

- Growing a vibrant commercial space economy through the power of American free enterprise will build prosperity and open new economic opportunities, such as high-paying aerospace manufacturing jobs here in America.
- Enabling next-generation space capabilities will give Americans better positioning, navigation, and timing services for precision agriculture, more accurate weather forecasts for safe and predictable airline travel, and ubiquitous satellite-enabled communications for global broadband internet access.
- Protecting critical space assets and activities is essential for military readiness and for defending America’s economic dominance.
- Expanding human reach and American presence in space honors our pioneering legacy, ensures America remains at the forefront of space discovery and achievement, and drives innovation with spillover applications as far-ranging as memory foam, scratch-resistant lenses, cordless power tools, and heart pumps.

BUILDING AMERICAN STRENGTH AND DRIVING ACHIEVEMENT: President Trump has demonstrated consistent leadership as a driving force for American strength and achievement in space.

- In August 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to enable competition in the commercial space industry, ensuring the United States maintains its leading role in the commercial use of space.
- President Trump promised that “We will lead humanity back to the moon, and the United States will be the first nation to land an astronaut on Mars.”
- President Trump spearheaded the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces since the creation of the Air Force more than 70 years ago.
  - The Space Force is critical to preparing the Department of War for evolving warfighting conditions and expanding our capabilities.
- During his first term, President Trump issued seven groundbreaking Space Policy Directives instructing NASA to return American astronauts to the Moon, reforming our Nation’s commercial space regulatory framework, establishing cybersecurity principles for space systems, and much more.
- In January 2021, President Trump issued an Executive Order promoting small modular reactors for National defense and space exploration.
- In April 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order to encourage space resource recovery and utilization.

## Related

- #### ENSURING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY

  Presidential Actions, Executive Orders
  December 18, 2025

- #### Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Enables Competition in the Commercial Space Industry

  Fact Sheets
  August 13, 2025

- #### Presidential Message on Space Exploration Day

  Briefings & Statements
  July 20, 2025

- #### America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

  Briefings & Statements
  January 28, 2026

- #### Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Streamlines Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy

  Fact Sheets
  May 23, 2025

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