Today, our nation celebrates the essential role that American space exploration plays in the history and character of our country. We honor our brave astronauts and space industry professionals, both past and present, and we pledge to continue to lead the world to pioneer space, stars, and beyond.
This year’s observation of Space Exploration Day comes as we begin a new era of human space exploration. After a nine-year hiatus, American astronauts once again launched into space from American ground on rockets proudly built by American workers. Additionally, SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 was the first manned launch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) commercial crew program, which marked the first time in history that a commercial company sent humans into orbit.
These monumental feats of the past year are tremendous strides in taking our country’s space exploration efforts to remarkable new heights. To capitalize on this momentum and reaffirm America’s position as the world standard-bearer for innovation, and as the world’s largest space nation, my Administration has ordered NASA to return to the Moon, this time to stay and build a base. of operators to get humans to Mars. Through NASA’s Artemis program, the United States will send the next man and first woman to the surface of the Moon by 2024. Soon, the rover Perseverance will launch from the Kennedy Space Center, bound for the Jezero crater on Mars, lighting the way for our brave American astronauts to one day follow. Along with the helicopter Ingenuity, We’ll test powered flight in another world for the first time, uncovering the mysteries of the Red Planet so we can one day plant our great American flag to fly with pride as a beacon of American freedom and creativity across the galaxy.
On Space Exploration Day, we pause and pay tribute to the Nation’s legacy of leadership in space and to those who came before us, remembering those who have sacrificed so much for our country’s successes and pledging to honor their accomplishments by continuing the noble search for space. exploration and understanding in the XXI century.
