That tracks with the timeline for Artemis II<\/a>, which intends to send a manned flight around the moon in April, and Artemis III<\/a>, a 30-day mission where astronauts plan to land on the moon and explore its lunar South Pole.<\/p>\n But the commitment from the White House remains important as a sign of the administration\u2019s commitment to spaceflight, Haridopolos said. The lengthy order coordinates efforts of the Transportation and Commerce Departments and to assert dominance of low-Earth orbit, both for exploration and for military purposes, all with NASA as the central agency.<\/p>\n \u201cThis the first President since (Ronald) Reagan to actually mention space in his inaugural,\u201d Haridopolos noted.<\/p>\n Trump indeed promised on Jan. 20<\/a> to \u201cpursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.\u201d And while his latest executive order offers no timeline on the red planet, it calls for a lunar outpost on the moon by 2030 that will \u201cenable the next steps in Mars exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n Haridopolos suggests that the order focused on space arrived now thanks to personnel drama around NASA finally coming to a close. The Senate in a 67-30 vote Wednesday confirmed<\/a> NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, a SpaceX astronaut who commanded the first all-civilian spaceflight.<\/p>\n Trump initially announced Isaacman last year<\/a> as his choice to head NASA, back when Trump first returned to office and was working closely with SpaceX founder Elon Musk. But in the midst of a high-profile feud with Musk this Summer<\/a>, Trump withdrew the nomination and made Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy the acting NASA Administrator.<\/p>\n In November<\/a>, Trump once again put Isaacman forward as his choice to head America\u2019s space agency.<\/p>\n \u201cIsaacman and I have been in constant contact throughout the year,\u201d Haridopolos said. \u201cI was disappointed when at first he was let go, and excited now because our space program isn\u2019t government-owned. It\u2019s a public-private partnership now, especially, as you know, with SpaceX. So I\u2019m very bullish on what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n What needs to happen in space with a full-time leader installed? Haridopolos noted that a lunar lander remains behind schedule for that 2027 launch. He doesn\u2019t want shortcuts in creating one, dismissing ideas like simply using the same designs as for the lander that brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon in 1969.<\/p>\n Haridopolos knows NASA should have the resources for a future-looking spacecraft. As far as Florida goes, he\u2019s confident they will make their ascent to the stars from Brevard County, largely thanks to investments in the Trump-championed Big Beautiful Bill<\/a>. That included $9.9 billion for NASA, dedicating funding for the Artemis, Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft program<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/35430585-724C-4774-BF52-F6A1E4F0D36C.png\")
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