Transmat World: Just What Are NASA’s Plans Under Trump?

Jovian clouds. Courtesy NASA

At the behest of President Donald Trump’s Space Policy Directive 1, NASA is planning a more hands-on advance into space called the National Space Exploration Campaign. That will include human hands returning to the Moon. Hopefully, by the time he finds out there is no golf course involved, NASA will be too far along to cancel the campaign.

Astronauts on the Moon.

“The directive I am signing today will refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery,” said President Trump. “It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use. This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints -- we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond.”

Mars base. Courtesy NASA.

A lot of people disagree with the President about going back to the Moon. Some, Elon Musk included, think we should go to Mars first. The Donald’s reasoning, semi-joking about the golf course, probably does not involve harvesting helium-3 or turning the Moon into the first intra-solar system gas station by electrolyzing Moon water into hydrogen and oxygen. It probably has something more to do with national prestige on the world stage. The helium-3, should we ever get fusion to work, and the water thing are much better reasons. Whatever works. Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then.

Space Policy Directive 2 streamlines the regulations and licensing for commercial space companies, forming a one-stop shopping place for a single license to cover commercial space exploration and exploitation by any corporation.

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Space Policy Directive 3 is the administration’s attempt to make information about space debris more accessible by allowing the Department of Commerce to take over part of the responsibilities of tracking and charting the thousands of pieces of space debris and letting the info get into the hands of commercial entities that need it. An addendum, so to speak, of Directive 3 was President Trump’s call for a “Space Force”.

These directives have coalesced into a campaign by NASA with goals corresponding to these directives.

Jupiter - courtesy NASA.

The National Space Exploration Campaign has five strategic goals:

Transition U.S. human spaceflight activities in low-Earth orbit to commercial operations that support NASA and the needs of an emerging private sector market.
Lead the emplacement of capabilities that support lunar surface operations and facilitate missions beyond cislunar space.
Foster scientific discovery and characterization of lunar resources through a series of robotic missions.
Return U.S. astronauts to the surface of the Moon for a sustained campaign of exploration and use.
Demonstrate the capabilities required for human missions to Mars and other destinations.

These directives and campaigns seem, on the surface, to be a positive for the space program. What needs to be watched is whether good science projects are being scrapped to make budget room for spectacular stunts, like men on the Moon … again. If we do wind up with people on the Moon, let’s hope it is for much longer periods so worthwhile scientific studies can be made that will help out in the journey to Mars.

One of the tactical goals for NASA is to have a Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) permanently stationed in orbit around the Moon. Like a mini-ISS, it will house personnel, equipment, and experiments. It will serve as a base camp to the Moon’s surface and a service station to missions beyond the Earth-Moon envelope. This used to be the Deep Space Gateway under Obama, but Trump couldn't stand it that there was a program under Obama that he actually agreed with, so the name was changed. The name is now so awkward there may be another renaming.

LOP-G Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway. A space station for the Moon.

Parts for the LOP-G are already being fabricated all over the world. These will be launched into space using NASA’s Space Launch System or, possibly SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket and ferried to the Moon aboard something like a Orion, the BFR Spaceship, or a logistics module that NASA has recently signaled it needs designs for from private industry. Once in orbit around the Moon, the pieces will be assembled to form the LOP-G.

From the LOP-G, small landers will go to the Moon’s surface and explore for minerals, metals, and water. Moon Express is a company developing new lunar landers to facilitate this push to go back to the Moon. If what they find is favorable, it may not be long before astronauts in habitats are camping out on the Moon. It may turn out to be the golden age of manned spaceflight. With the quickening pace of AI development, it will soon make more sense, even to politicians, to leave the heavy lifting of space exploration in the hands of more capable machines.