President Donald Trump said NASA plans to launch its first nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars within two years, presenting the mission as part of a wider effort to expand the U.S. presence in space and eventually send astronauts to the planet.
Speaking at the UP Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Trump said the mission would help prepare for a crewed journey. “We’re going to be paving the way for astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the Red Planet,” he said.
The plans come as NASA’s Artemis program works toward a sustained human presence on the moon, a step the agency sees as preparation for future Mars missions. Astronauts completed a lunar flyby during Artemis II earlier this year. Artemis III is scheduled to test spacecraft and landing systems in Earth orbit in 2027, with Artemis IV expected to attempt a moon landing in early 2028.
Trump said the U.S. intends to maintain a lasting presence beyond Earth, including on the moon. He also referred to his recently issued “American Declaration of Freedom in Space,” which he said supports Americans’ right to explore and settle beyond Earth under U.S. law.
“Just this week, I issued the American Declaration of Freedom in Space, proclaiming all of space opened for American settlement, American civilization, and American freedom,” Trump said.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke about the agency’s long-term Mars goals before introducing the president. The U.S., he said, would travel farther into the solar system and move closer to “that next giant leap.” He described the ultimate aim as seeing American astronauts plant the flag on Mars.
The administration has also proposed a U.S. Space Academy, announced by Trump in August, to prepare students for careers in the Space Force, NASA and the commercial spaceflight industry.
“Our calling is to explore. Our purpose is to build, and our aim is always to win,” Trump said.
