Big move by Donald Trump as US president signs an executive order, sets target to send astronauts to the Moon by…, NASA says…

New Delhi: In a major development, US President Doland Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at maintaining the country’s dominance in space. According to the reports, the order sets a target of sending American astronauts to the Moon by 2028. It also emphasizes keeping space free from weapons. The plan also includes establishing a permanent outpost on the Moon by 2030. The move is seen as the first major step on space policy in Trump’s second term.

The order was issued just a few hours after billionaire private astronaut and former SpaceX customer Jared Isaacman was sworn in as NASA’s 15th Administrator.

Here are some of the key details:

• The order is titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority”
• It calls on the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies to develop a space security strategy.
• It also seeks cooperation from the private sector.
• Under President Trump’s Golden Dome program, the order also refers to the development of missile-defense technologies.
• The order sets a target of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2028, which will be the final year of Trump’s second term.

It is important to note that during his first term, Trump had issued a similar order in 2019, aiming for America’s return to the Moon by 2024. The US space agency NASA has currently set 2028 as its target, a timeline established during former President Barack Obama’s administration.