The White House. Photo: US government

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on space policy on Thursday that affirmed the priority to land Americans on the Moon by 2028, called for the development of nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, and to attract $50 billion of additional investment in American space markets by 2028.

The executive order also revokes the National Space Council, which Trump reestablished during his first term. Trump had not appointed a chair for the council during his second term.

The executive order was issued Thursday afternoon, just hours after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was sworn in. Isaacman was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday.

While Trump issued a number of space policy directives during his first term, he had not until Thursday issued an overarching space policy for his second term.

The executive order is aimed at ensuring American space superiority.

“Superiority in space is a measure of national vision and willpower, and the technologies Americans develop to achieve it contribute substantially to the Nation’s strength, security, and prosperity,” the executive order said. “The United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery, secure the nation’s vital economic and security interests, unleash commercial development, and lay the foundation for a new space age.”

It affirms the goal to return American astronauts to the Moon by 2028 through the Artemis program, and to establish the initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030 and to “prepare for the journey to Mars,” without a specific target date.

It also calls for “near-term utilization of space nuclear power” by deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit. It targets a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030. Earlier this year, NASA declared intent to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon in 2030.

The policy reiterates priorities that were part of the orders during Trump’s first term and previous actions during this term like detecting, characterizing and countering threats to U.S. space interests, leading on spectrum strategy, and undergoing acquisition reform and integrating commercial space capabilities.

The order has directives for implementation including guidance on establishing a National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power, and calling for a plan from NASA and other federal departments and agencies to achieve the policy objectives.