In 2017, Congress enacted the NASA Transition Authorization Act, mapping out the future of NASA. The act focuses on human space travel and requests the government agency to land a human on mars by 2033. The act also pushes for private enterprise to have more involvement in space travel. Making it to mars is one of NASA’s largest pushes, outlined in the legislation. 

Here are the 5 key points the act addresses:

1. Transition U.S. human spaceflight in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) to commercial operations that support NASA and the needs of an emerging commercial economy.
2. Lead the emplacement of capabilities that support lunar surface operations and facilitate missions beyond cislunar space.
3. Foster scientific discovery and characterization of lunar resources through a series of robotic missions.
4. Return U.S. astronauts to the surface of the Moon for a sustained campaign of exploration and utilization.
5. Demonstrate on the Moon the capabilities required for human missions to Mars and other destinations.

What is missing from this act might be more important than what is in it. Missing from the document is the advancement of Earth Science. Experts are alarmed at this revelation. The trump administration is pushing advancement in space but reigning in NASA’s involvement with studying climate and environmental protection. Currently NASA is responsible for a vast majority of the world’s research on climate. Without NASA being involved, the fear is that climate change will be increasingly difficult to solve, due to less information, and filling the void will be too expensive and difficult without the federal government’s involvement. 

It is no secret that this administration doesn’t want anything to do with climate change or anything related to benefitting the environment. This can be seen directly by the various statements the president and his administration have put out, not to mention the environmentally unfriendly cabinet appointees. This act doesn’t mention the term Earth science, something this administration seeks to gut.

The Trump administration is pushing for private companies to be involved in the next space race, getting to mars. Less government is a goal for this administration, one that may be beneficial in terms of outer space exploration. It could make it cheaper to develop technologies, with more competition. In addition, it could allow NASA to eventually do more with its budget. Space X’s implementation of the reusable Falcon Rocket is one example of private enterprise driving down costs. Prior to 2018, many were skeptical about the possibility of reusable rockets. In the coming years, with increased collaboration between companies and the federal government. 

“a national, government-led space program that builds on current science and exploration programs, advances human knowledge and capabilities, and opens the frontier beyond Earth for ourselves, commercial enterprise, and science, and with our international partners, is of critical importance to our national destiny and to a future guided by United States values and freedoms”

Low Earth Orbit is of particular interest to NASA, leading to collaboration between private companies. NASA says there will astronauts from U.S companies in low earth orbit and landing on the international space station. LEO is expected to be where most private companies will conduct business in space. 

NASA says they will be putting another man on the moon by 2024. The act calls for NASA to test out capabilities for being on mars on the moon first. The Mission, called “Artemis”, will put the first woman on the moon as well, an obvious giant step. Some believe the idea of going back to the moon is a move to gain public support for a trip to Mars.