Although details remain evolving, the transition team reviewing NASA and its activities began drafting possible executive orders to change space policy under the Trump administration.
Sources close to the five team members, who have spent the past six weeks evaluating the space agency and its exploration plans, were careful to note that these teams are advisory in nature. They do not formally set policy, and their work is not always indicative of the direction in which a new presidential administration will move.
Nonetheless, in attempting to set clear goals for NASA and civilian space policy, the ideas under consideration reflect the Trump administration’s desire for “big changes” at NASA, both in terms of increasing the effectiveness and speed of its programs.
Not as usual
The transition team is grappling with an agency that has an unnecessary number of field centers – ten across the United States, plus an official headquarters in Washington, D.C. – and large, slow programs that cost a lot of money and have far-reaching consequences. took time to produce results.
“It won’t be business as usual,” said a person familiar with that group’s meetings. The mindset that drives their deliberations is focused on results and speed.
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president for his second term in just under a month, on January 20. On that day, he is expected to sign a number of executive orders on issues he campaigned on. This could include space policy, but it’s more likely that will wait until later in his presidency.
A source said the space transition team had been working on ideas that Trump had spoken about publicly, including his interest in Mars. For example, during a campaign speech this fall, Trump referenced SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who played a significant role during the campaign, both in terms of time and money, and in his desire to colonize Mars.
“We’re leading in space over Russia and China… That’s my plan, I’ll talk to Elon about it,” Trump said in September. “Elon is launching these rockets because we want to reach Mars before my term ends, and we also want to have great military protection in space.”
Ideas under consideration
The transition team discussed possible elements of an executive order or other policy directives. They include:
- Set a goal to send humans to the Moon and Mars by 2028
- Canceling the expensive Space Launch System rocket and possibly the Orion spacecraft
- Consolidation of Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center to Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama
- Maintain a small administrative presence in Washington, DC, but otherwise move headquarters to a field center
- Rapidly rethink the Artemis lunar program to make it more efficient
