Arthur J. Villasanta – Fourth Estate Contributor
Washington, DC, United States (4E) – The United States now plans to return to the Moon — most likely to determine army bases — earlier than touring to Mars beneath a brand new lunar program trotted out by the administration.
The federal authorities’s “Space Policy Directive 1” establishes a basis for a mission to the Moon with a watch on going to Mars. It reverses the plan espoused by the Obama administration that first wished to land U.S. astronauts on a captured Near-Earth asteroid as a follow run for a Mars touchdown mission.
“We are the leader and we’re going to stay the leader, and we’re going to increase it many fold,” stated Donald Trump in signing “Space Policy Directive 1.”
“This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars. And perhaps, someday, to many worlds beyond.”
Trump stated he was taking a large step towards “reclaiming America’s proud destiny in space.”
“And space has so much to do with so many other applications, including a military application,” he stated, elevating eyebrows on the prospect of the U.S. establishing army outposts on the Moon.
“NASA looks forward to supporting the president’s directive strategically aligning our work to return humans to the Moon, travel to Mars and opening the deeper solar system beyond,” stated performing NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot.
U.S. curiosity in constructing a army base on the Moon extends again to 1959 and to a prime secret proposal known as “Project Horizon.”
Project Horizon was a research to find out the feasibility of establishing a scientific and army base on the Moon. The challenge proposal stated “The lunar outpost is required to develop and protect potential United States interests on the moon; to develop techniques in moon-based surveillance of the earth and space, in communications relay, and in operations on the surface of the moon; to serve as a base for exploration of the moon, for further exploration into space and for military operations on the moon if required; and to support scientific investigations on the moon.”
The everlasting outpost was predicted to price $6 billion and develop into operational in December 1966 with 12 troopers. Project Horizon by no means progressed previous the feasibility stage, nevertheless.
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