How NASA might change under Donald Trump

While details remain in flux, the transition team is reviewing NASA and his work has begun drafting possible executive orders for space policy changes under the Trump administration.

Sources familiar with the five people on the team, who have spent the past six weeks evaluating the space agency and its intelligence programs, are careful to note that such teams are advisory in nature. They do not formally set policy, nor does their work always point the way , to which the upcoming presidential administration will move.

However, while setting clear goals for NASA and civilian space policy, the ideas being discussed reflect the Trump administration’s desire for “big changes” at NASA, both in terms of increasing the efficiency and speed of its programs.

Unusual business

The transition team was struggling with an agency that has redundant field centers, ten spread across the United States, as well as an official headquarters in Washington, D.C., and large, slow-moving projects that require and have large sums of money. slowed down the results.

“This is not going to be business as usual,” said one person familiar with the group’s meetings.Their mindset focuses on results and speed.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as president in less than a month on January 20. On that day, he is expected to sign a number of executive orders on issues he campaigned on space policy, but that will more likely wait until later in his presidency.

One source said the space transition team developed ideas that Trump has talked about publicly, including his interest in Mars. For example, during a campaign speech this fall, Trump mentioned SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who played a prominent role during the campaign. both in terms of time and money and the desire to settle Mars.

“We have a lead in space over Russia and China… That’s my plan. I’ll talk to Elon.” Trump said in September. “Elon is fixing those rocket ships because we want to get to Mars by the end of my term, and we also want to have a big military defense in space.”

Ideas to consider

The transition team discussed possible elements of the executive order or other policy directives.

• Setting the goal of sending humans to the Moon and Mars by 2028
• Cancel the costly Space Launch System rocket and possibly the Orion spacecraft
• Consolidation of Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center at Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama
• Maintaining a small administration presence in Washington, but otherwise moving the headquarters to a field center
• A quick redesign of the Artemis Lunar Program to make it more efficient