BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order setting a 2028 target for returning U.S. astronauts to the Moon and developing space defense technologies.
The order, titled "ENSURING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY," vowed to "return Americans to the Moon by 2028 through the Artemis Program," lay the foundation for lunar economic development and prepare for the journey to Mars.
Officially launched during Trump's first term, the Artemis Program aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and prepare for further exploration of Mars. In 2022, NASA's Orion spacecraft completed the uncrewed Artemis I mission after flying around the Moon, paving the way for a crewed flight test and future human lunar exploration. However, subsequent missions were delayed multiple times, putting Trump's ambitious timetable at risk.
Here are some factors that make the 2028 Moon landing plan hard to achieve.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The executive order was issued just hours after Jared Isaacman was sworn in as NASA administrator, which was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
Isaacman, a close business associate of SpaceX founder Elon Musk, has worked extensively with SpaceX on private space missions, including integrating Starlink technology into his company. He has flown to space twice on private missions conducted with SpaceX and has no prior experience in federal government service.
A 62-page draft agenda titled Project Athena, which Isaacman defended after it leaked in May, offers insight into how he intends to run NASA: largely along business lines.
Some critics have raised concerns that Isaacman's close ties to Musk could influence NASA's priorities. Analysts warned that a stronger focus on Mars exploration aligned with SpaceX's ambitions could come at the expense of the Artemis Program.
During Isaacman's confirmation hearing on Dec. 3, several Democratic senators voiced concerns over potential conflicts of interest, noting that SpaceX holds roughly 15 billion U.S. dollars in NASA contracts and could benefit from policies Isaacman has supported.
POLITICAL INSTABILITY
Bringing astronauts to the Moon depends on years of consistent political commitment and stable funding. Yet the U.S. political system is prone to sharp shifts driven by leadership changes and partisan battles, making it ill-suited to long-term projects that extend beyond a single presidential term.
Crewed space exploration is costly and slow to deliver visible political gains, making it an easy target when politicians redirect funds toward other short-term priorities. As part of the government efficiency project, the White House in May proposed an approximately 25 percent budget cut for NASA for the 2026 fiscal year, marking one of the largest single-year budget cuts in NASA history.
The space agency is also vulnerable to government shutdown threats. During the 43-day government shutdown earlier this year, NASA halted the vast majority of its work, with about 15,000 employees furloughed. Intensifying partisan divisions have increased the risk of government shutdowns, adding another layer of uncertainty to NASA's operations.
During the Apollo Program era, when space exploration was treated as a national priority, NASA's budget exceeded 4 percent of federal spending. Today, NASA receives roughly 0.2 percent. In the absence of a broad national consensus and sustained political focus, a project as complex as a crewed lunar landing is far more likely to be derailed by political uncertainty.
SKILLS GAP
NASA's Artemis Program depends heavily on outside contractors, with key systems built by different companies. The Orion crew capsule is developed jointly by NASA and Lockheed Martin, while the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is led by NASA and Boeing. SpaceX is responsible for Starship and the Human Landing System (HLS), with other commercial firms involved across the program.
Oversight reports show that at least eight of the program's 13 critical milestones are significantly behind schedule. Orion has faced design issues involving its heat shield, life-support system and crew escape system. Meanwhile, the SLS rocket has drawn criticism for slow development and high costs.
Another major bottleneck is the development of new spacesuits. U.S. astronauts are still using suits designed more than 40 years ago. Axiom Space, which is building the next-generation suit, said NASA's original design lacks the emergency life-support systems required for the Artemis III mission, forcing a major redesign.
Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, said crewed lunar landings require tight coordination across training, hardware and operations. "What we're doing now is essentially rebuilding some of the expertise that we had during Apollo but lost over the last 50 years," he said.
Robert Frost, instructor and flight controller at NASA, noted that the Apollo program employed about 400,000 people at its peak and worked with more than 20,000 companies and universities. Today, much of that technology is obsolete. From factories and materials to tools and certification, he said, "we would essentially be building a new vehicle."
After a visit to SpaceX's Starbase facility and meetings with company executives last month, NASA safety adviser Paul Hill said, "The HLS schedule is significantly challenged and, in our estimation, could be years late for a 2027 Artemis III Moon landing." ■
