US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he believes NASA has a “good chance” of returning astronauts to the Moon before he leaves the White House at the start of 2029, as he welcomed the Artemis II crew to the Oval Office. Asked whether he thought the goal would be met during his second term, Trump said, “Oh, we have a shot at it,” adding that officials avoid saying “definitely” because of the risk of perceived failure.
Trump’s remarks followed the recent Artemis II mission — the first crewed trip around the Moon in more than 50 years — which carried Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. The four astronauts, who returned earlier this month, reportedly traveled farther into space than any humans before them.
The United States is aiming for a crewed lunar landing in 2028. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, who attended Wednesday’s White House event, told Trump the agency “has an achievable plan to go back to the Moon.” Yet outside experts have expressed skepticism that the lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin will be ready in time to meet the 2028 target.
China is also moving ahead with its lunar ambitions and is targeting 2030 to place astronauts on the Moon’s surface, underscoring growing international competition in crewed lunar exploration.
The meeting included a lighter moment when Trump asked, jokingly, “is a president allowed to go up on one of these missions?” Isaacman responded, “We can get working on it, Mr. President.”
The White House appearance and Trump’s public endorsement highlight continued political attention on NASA’s Artemis program and the private companies contracted to build lunar landers, a critical factor for whether the United States can meet its stated 2028 landing goal.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/trump-says-us-has-a-shot-at-crewed-moon-landing-before-presidency-ends-11428346#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-04-30 03:10:00
