Trump signs directive to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars
- by Muriel Colon
- in Global Media
- — Dec 12, 2017
Under Space Policy Directive 1, the moon is seen as a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of Mars exploration.
There is bipartisan support for further space exploration but parties disagree over the timeline and budget.
Space policy experts agree that any attempt to send people to Mars, which lies an average of 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) from Earth, would require huge technical prowess and a massive wallet.
Apollo 17 was the last Apollo mission to land astronauts on the Moon and returned with the greatest amount of rock and soil samples for investigation.
On July 20, 1969, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement that the new policy reflects recommendations from the National Space Council, a White House advisory panel Trump appointed earlier in the year.
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The movie will be directed by dance choreographer Remo De'souza, and the cast also includes Bobby Deol and Saqib Saleem. So, when the news came that Kapoor would not be part of Race 3 , many film lovers were really disappointed.
Former US president George W. Bush also pledged to send Americans to the Moon as part of the Constellation program.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the newly revitalized National Space Council, have previously vowed to explore the Moon again, but offered few details.
Technology website Ars Technica noted that under a status quo situation, "it is hard to see NASA or its partner astronauts landing on the moon before 2030, presuming the next president sticks with this plan". Schmitt was one of the last two people to walk on the moon. Bush had earlier started the Constellation program and he too meant to send astronauts to the moon by 2020 and then to Mars.
It will focus on long-term explorations and use of the Moon's surface, in partnership with the private sector.
"We will engage the best and brightest across government and private industry and our partners across the world to reach new milestones in human achievement".
And his excitement was evident in his four-minute speech at the White House when he said: "This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint", reported IANS.
