President Donald Trump – Spaceflight Now

Trump to visit Kennedy Space Center for crew launch

May 22, 2020 Stephen Clark

President Trump plans to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida next week to view the first launch of astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil in nearly a decade, according to White House officials.

Pence delivers a promise, and a warning, to NASA and its contractors

July 22, 2019 William Harwood

Despite appearances and a presidential tweet suggesting otherwise, the United States is “100%” committed to sending astronauts back to the moon in 2024 and establishing a long-term, sustainable presence there as a stepping stone to eventual piloted flights to Mars, Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview with CBS News.

Trump criticizes NASA over his own administration’s moon program

June 7, 2019 William Harwood

In a head-spinning tweet, President Trump blasted NASA on Friday for its plan to return to the moon, a plan set in motion during a 2017 White House ceremony he presided over, and forcefully endorsed in March on the president’s behalf by Vice President Mike Pence, chairman of the revitalized National Space Council.

Trump adds $1.6 billion to NASA budget request to kick start ‘Artemis’ moon mission

May 13, 2019 William Harwood

The Trump administration is adding an additional $1.6 billion to NASA’s $21 billion 2020 budget request to kick start plans to return American astronauts to the moon in 2024, four years earlier than previously planned, NASA announced Monday.

Bridenstine narrowly confirmed in Senate to become next NASA chief

April 19, 2018 William Harwood

Rep. Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma Republican, was confirmed Thursday as NASA’s 13th administrator after months of partisan wrangling over his lack of experience in the space arena and prior statements questioning human contributions to climate change.

President Trump makes moon missions NASA’s near-term goal

December 11, 2017 William Harwood

In a brief White House ceremony Monday, President Trump formally directed NASA to set its sights on sending astronauts back to the moon followed by eventual flights to Mars as part of a new national space policy intended to make sure America “once again leads and inspires all of humanity” on the high frontier.

White House taps Bridenstine to head NASA

September 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

President Trump plans to nominate Rep. Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma Republican who has championed commercial spaceflight and a return to the moon, to be the next NASA administrator after months of speculation.

Trump signs NASA authorization act, Pence to chair National Space Council

March 23, 2017 Stephen Clark

President Donald Trump signed a new NASA authorization bill Tuesday, the first such space policy framework since early in the Obama administration, that largely continues the space agency’s efforts to foster a commercial economy in Earth orbit and explore deep space, with an eventual goal of landing humans on Mars.