US President Donald Trump has announced plans to send Americans back to the Moon by 2028.
The decision was outlined in a presidential decree on Thursday, prioritising lunar exploration within NASA’s Artemis programme. This shift in focus has placed Mars exploration on the backburner.
The decree emphasises that returning to the Moon will reaffirm US leadership in space, lay the groundwork for lunar economic development, prepare for travel to Mars, and inspire the next generation of American explorers.
It also calls for setting up a lunar base by 2030, and confirms plans to install a nuclear reactor on the Moon.
However, the Artemis 3 mission, part of this programme, has faced repeated delays due to the moon lander developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX not being yet fully operational, according to experts.
Meanwhile, China aims to go to the Moon and establish a lunar base by 2030.
