I understand you are poking at Artemis II specifically, and I understand the broader political discourse, but if you are part of the space-loving community, the points below are factual: - POTUS did create the Artemis Program, Artemis Accords, and Space Force during his first term, which all matter greatly when it comes to exploring across the great frontier. - POTUS OBBB/Working Family Tax Cut Act funding is the primary reason we are in a position to accelerate SLS production, increase launch cadence, add a mission in 2027 to buy down risk, and have a real opportunity to land NASA astronauts on the surface in 2028. - POTUS OBBB/Working Family Tax Cut Act funding is the only reason we have the resources to begin building the Moon base in a logical, evolutionary way so that the world will be able to witness dozens of robotic landers and rovers on the Moon to test comms, mobility, surface improvement, power, and navigation, all starting in 2027. - POTUS National Space Policy, established on the day I was sworn into this role, provides the whole-of-government mandate to undertake the actions that are underway right now..return to the Moon, build the base, invest in next ‘giant leap’ capabilities like nuclear power and propulsion to unlock exploration in the outer solar system, provide power in the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, and set up for missions to Mars, like SR-1 Freedom, that will launch in 2028. While our job at NASA is to undertake and achieve the near-impossible, it certainly helps to have the interest, support, mandate, and resources POTUS has been able to provide.
