BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — At the Kennedy Space Center, NASA teams are preparing for a major launch rehearsal this weekend for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed mission around the Moon since the Apollo era.
The flight is currently planned for early 2026, coming at a pivotal moment for the space agency under new leadership and a new presidential executive order outlining ambitious goals for America’s future in space — including a moon landing with astronauts by 2028.
Newly sworn-in NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the agency’s 15th leader, will be responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s space policy. The executive order calls for the construction of a lunar outpost and a sustained presence on the moon in preparation for future voyages to mars. Isaacman said, “It commits the United States not just to returning to the moon, not just for the footprints and planting the flags, but actually building a base.”
Former NASA employee and longtime space analyst Keith Cowing describes the plan as a mix of realism and ambition.
“A third of this is rational like, yeah, no kidding,” Cowing said. “A third is aspirational like, yeah, we kind of maybe should do this. And a third of it is irrational.”
Beyond the 2028 Moon landing, the executive order also emphasizes national security and commercial growth in space, including developing next-generation missile defense technologies, attracting billions in private investment, and supporting the use of nuclear power on the moon and in orbit to help enable long-term exploration.
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