President Donald J. Trump signed the American Declaration of Freedom in Space on Nov. 3, proclaiming that “the solar system and all of outer space beyond Earth are the province of all humans and are open to exploration, development, use, and the establishment of a permanent presence by American citizens.” “It is America’s destiny to explore and expand our frontiers beyond Earth to the farthest depths of space,” the President wrote.
The proclamation lays out the President’s timeline. “We will return to the Moon by 2028, lay the foundation for a permanent American lunar presence, and hasten the day when an American becomes the first human to set foot on the red dunes of Mars,” it says. “This past April, the Artemis II mission successfully carried astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than any human had ever traveled before,” and “next summer, Artemis III will undertake one of the most complex and consequential test flight campaigns in the history of our Nation’s space program.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described what the President wanted to know when the Artemis III crew visited the White House. “It’s the most demanding real estate project in history,” Isaacman said. “We’re building an enduring presence and outpost on the lunar surface and Moon Base. So the President was very curious about the material itself. But he also wanted to get to know the astronauts who are going to undertake what is going to be an incredibly demanding and complex test mission on Artemis III in 2027. And then of course he had questions about our lander and making sure we’re on schedule for Artemis IV in 2028.”
“Through the landmark Executive Orders and directives I have signed, we are reinvigorating human spaceflight, unleashing a competitive and thriving commercial space industry, and ensuring American space superiority for all eternity,” President Trump wrote.
“The nation that leads in space will shape the future of humanity — and that nation will be the United States of America,” the proclamation says. “We pledge to carry our sacred values of faith and freedom wherever we journey, so that freedom may forever ring among the stars and beyond.”
