Galactic Insights for Trump’s Return to Power

The Trump Administration will take charge of NASA at a pivotal moment: while the U.S. space agency remains a global leader in ambition and capability, its prevailing dominance is not assured. While program adjustments are essential, we believe that the core strategy for exploration is robust, furnishing NASA with a solid foundation for the upcoming years.

NASA’s Artemis initiative represents the nation’s most serious lunar exploration pursuit since Apollo. Although there are still technical hurdles to overcome, the United States’ dedication to a prolonged lunar presence has already formed a global coalition of scientific, commercial, and national players investing tens of billions of dollars in support of lunar exploration and development. Concurrently, over 50 countries have signed the Artemis Accords, joined by a shared vision of peaceful lunar exploration.

NASA’s five scientific divisions have distinct program priorities detailed in their respective decadal survey reports, compiled every decade by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Collectively, these advocate for a historic investment in ambitious, boundary-breaking scientific inquiry.

Moreover, the vibrant commercial space sector in the United States is envied worldwide. After decades of NASA’s investment, a new wave of private and commercial enterprises is launching a fresh space economy, whose boundaries are still being explored.

Despite the partisanship fracturing the nation, NASA continues to receive widespread congressional backing and ranks among the most favored agencies in government, trailing only the postal service. The public remains supportive of U.S. dominance in space and expresses considerable enthusiasm for scientific exploration and planetary defense — two areas where NASA possesses unique capabilities. Consequently, the space program offers a genuine chance to unite the nation around common objectives for peaceful exploration.

Nevertheless, NASA is evidently having difficulty fulfilling its current obligations. All key components of Artemis have seen either cost increases, delays, or both; NASA’s science directorate faces challenges due to constrained budgets and rising expenses that have already postponed the majority of its forthcoming science and exploration initiatives. Additionally, the agency’s workforce, management, and infrastructure grapple with various interconnected issues stemming from underfunding and a lack of focus, necessitating robust leadership and vision for resolution.

In light of these challenges and opportunities, The Planetary Society proposes the following suggestions to the incoming Trump Administration:

1. Establish a vision and timeline for exploration and scientific advancement.

2. Leverage NASA’s unparalleled competencies in science and human spaceflight.

3. Get NASA back on course to achieving groundbreaking discoveries in space sciences.

4. Insist on optimal performance from NASA’s civil service, contractors, and commercial associates.