Vice President Mike Pence Promises to Put a Man on Mars
The Trump administration is putting focus on NASA and its program to put a man on Mars.
Vice President Mike Pence recently made an appearance at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to speak to NASA employees. There, he promised that the current administration would be prioritizing NASA goals to send astronauts to both the moon and the red planet.
"Here from this bridge to space, our nation will return to the moon and we will put American boots on the face of Mars," Pence said (via CNN). "I can assure you that under President Donald Trump, American security will be as dominant in the heavens as we are here on Earth."
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For its part, NASA has already revealed what a future manned rover on Mars could look like.
Pence is the current chairman of the National Space Council, which was originally assembled in 1989 by then-President George H.W. Bush but was shut down in 1993. However, President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to bring back the council. This summer, the National Space Council will hold its first meeting.
The moon and Mars are not the administration's only targets, though. Pence also vowed to "go farther to places that our children's children can only imagine."
It should be noted, though, that putting a man on Mars is not a goal that the Trump administration pioneered. Former President George W. Bush also laid out the possibility of sending astronauts to Mars, though a mission to the moon was the priority. On the other hand, former President Barack Obama made it clear that it was a goal to send astronauts to the red planet by the 2030s.
And while there was certainly some excitement surrounding NASA and the administration's plans for space exploration, a detailed course of action has yet to be established. Moreover, Pence did not reveal any information related to the Trump administration's space policy.
Stay tuned for the latest news and updates.
