Trump Proclaims Outer Space Open to All Humanity, Sets Moon and Mars Goals
The United States announces a new space proclamation: a return to the Moon by 2028 and a bid to put the first American on Mars, backed by a permanent presence plan.
Key points
- President Donald J. Trump signed on November 3, 2026 a proclamation declaring the solar system and outer space open to all humans.
- The text announces the U.S. will return to the Moon by 2028 and wants an American to be the first person to set foot on Mars.
- The document cites Artemis II, which carried astronauts around the Moon, and the next Artemis III mission this summer.
- The proclamation promotes a commercial space industry and a permanent American presence in space.
President Donald J. Trump signed on November 3, 2026 a proclamation declaring that the solar system and all of outer space beyond Earth are the province of all humans and are open to exploration, development, and use by American citizens, consistent with U.S. Law and its international obligations.
The document traces the history of U.S. Space exploration, from the Apollo 11 astronauts who walked on the Moon to the rovers that explored the surface of Mars. According to the text, the Artemis II mission carried astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than any human had ever traveled.
The proclamation says the next mission, Artemis III, will undertake one of the most complex test flight campaigns in the country's space program history next summer.
Among its goals, the government says it will return to the Moon by 2028 and lay the groundwork for a permanent American presence there. It also expresses the hope that an American will be the first human to set foot on Mars.
To achieve this, the administration says it will boost the commercial space industry, build facilities, and develop resources. The text states that the nation that leads in space will shape the future of humanity.