The United States has always been a nation of restless pioneers, from those Americans who crossed the western frontier to settle in California to those who first stepped onto the Moon. We are ever striving to explore uncharted lands, reach new horizons, and venture into the unknown.
Today, we are renewing the legacy of those courageous space pioneers and all they represent. As part of our re-engagement in human space exploration, the Trump administration’s policy is to return to the moon by 2024, ensuring that the next man and the first woman on the moon will both be American astronauts. From there, we plan to put men and women on Mars.
To accomplish this next big leap, we will develop the technologies to live on the moon for months and even years. We will learn how to make use of resources that the moon has to offer. That includes mining oxygen from the lunar surface and rocks to fuel reusable landers, extracting water from the permanently shadowed craters of the south pole, and developing a new generation of nuclear-powered spacecraft that will help us fly further and faster than ever before.
California is playing a vital part. In Silicon Valley, NASA’s Ames Research Center – which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year – is managing development of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER. VIPER will sample and study lunar water ice to discover how to use this water for humans on the moon.
The Trump administration is also committed to ensuring that the United States leverages the power of private enterprise in space. And even now, NASA is leading a commercial-friendly effort to develop the orbital platforms that will one day replace the International Space Station, as well as the human lunar landers that will carry us back to the moon.
As we have built up confidence in the opportunities that space can provide, we have unleashed the American space industry as never before. Recently, Northrop Grumman made history when it launched the first-ever commercial satellite-servicing spacecraft to not only extend the lifespan of several satellites, but also pave the way for in-space manufacturing. Companies like Boeing, United Launch Alliance, and SpaceX are working as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to ensure that American rockets once again launch American astronauts from American soil.
With renewed American leadership in space, we’re also seeing renewed cooperation among freedom-loving nations around the world to advance space exploration. Australia recently announced a historic $150 million investment in the burgeoning space industry in their country, including through support of the Artemis lunar program and our future mission to Mars. Canada has already agreed to support development of the Lunar Gateway — a critical outpost and refueling station that’ll help us develop technologies, test the systems, and train the astronauts for the first-ever crewed mission to Mars. And the Japanese recently announced their intention to join our efforts, both in the Lunar Gateway and on the lunar surface.
I recently had the privilege to salute the dedication of the men and women at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which hosts the 30th Space Wing and is a launching point for national security and commercial missions by United Launch Alliance and others. They stand watch on the highest frontier to keep the American people safe, demonstrating how space plays a critical role in our national security. Because of that, the United States will soon stand up the sixth branch of our Armed Forces: the United States Space Force.
Make no mistake: Space exploration and development will involve hardship and hazard, sacrifice and determination. But under this president, with the courage of a new generation of explorers, the ingenuity of so many in California, the strong support and cooperation of our private partners, and the strong cooperation of all of our freedom-loving international allies, we are confident that our efforts will pay dividends both here and among the stars.
Mike Pence is Vice President of the United States.
