Trump Writes Executive Order Setting 2028 Moon Landing Like It Means Anything – Jalopnik

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Thursday reiterating his views on space policy, including setting a 2028 deadline for a moon landing. However, it comes across more like a wish list than an actual order to the executive branch of the federal government. All of the major initiatives Trump mentioned are already underway and have suffered significant delays. Like his pointless address to the nation Wednesday night, the order seemed a desperate attempt to shore up his flagging popularity. According to GallupIn the polls, Trump was at just 36% after November, a low for his second term and just two points shy of his all-time low after the Jan. 6 attack.

The executive order, entitled ‘Ensuring American superiority in space’ outlined the Trump administration’s space policy for the remainder of his term. If you’ve followed NASA’s Artemis program at all, this will sound very familiar. Americans will return to the moon by 2028 ‘via the Artemis program’. A permanent outpost on the moon will be established by 2030, and a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface will be ready for launch that same year. The government will also encourage $50 billion in additional investment in the private space sector by 2028, paving the way for a commercial replacement of the International Space Station by 2030.

There is another reason why the timing of the executive order was not a coincidence. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is no longer NASA’s interim administrator. Billionaire Jared Isaacman was ultimately confirmed by the Senate for the position the day before the order was issued. He was first nominated in December 2024. Democratic and Republican lawmakers feared he would sell the agency to SpaceX, delaying the nomination process. Isaacman ultimately became the most prominent victim in Trump’s public split with Elon Musk. The president used the fact that the Musk ally had previously donated to Democrats as an excuse to withdraw his nomination in May. Despite everything, Isaacman continued to meet with Trump and gained enough favor to usurp Duffy at NASA.