Trump Declares Outer Space Open for All Humans to Explore

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Nov. 3 declaring the solar system and outer space to be the “province of all humans” and open for exploration, development, use, and settlement.

The United States will lead the way in the new space frontiers “forging an interplanetary civilization founded on the enduring and inalienable rights of freedom and individual liberty,” the president stated.

“Under my leadership, the United States is once again writing a bold new chapter in space exploration.”

In April, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Artemis II, a crewed lunar flyby test mission, from Florida. The mission carried astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than any human had traveled in the past.

“This historic voyage is only the beginning,” Trump said in the proclamation. “Next summer, Artemis III will undertake one of the most complex and consequential test flight campaigns in the history of our Nation’s space program.”

Artemis III is expected to perform a 14-day crewed test flight in low Earth orbit as a test mission in mid-summer 2027 before astronauts return to the Moon’s surface. The mission is being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.

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“Every piece of this mission in Earth orbit is designed to reduce risk before we put astronauts back on the Moon,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager. “We’re launching three spacecraft on three different rockets and testing how they operate together—something NASA has never attempted.”

Trump said the United States plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028, laying the foundation for a permanent American lunar presence and paving the way for when the first human sets foot on Mars.

“Above all, we pledge to carry our sacred values of faith and freedom wherever we journey, so that freedom may forever ring among the stars and beyond,” Trump said in the proclamation.

The Trump administration has focused heavily on accelerating lunar exploration and expanding commercialization of low Earth orbit and space infrastructure through its August update to the National Space Transportation Policy.

In the update, Trump replaced the Obama-era National Space Transportation Policy of 2013 with a new strategic framework aimed at scaling capacity and supporting commercial activity out to the Moon and Mars.

He also referenced an August 2025 executive order to streamline regulations and promote competition in the commercial space industry. The order directed the secretary of transportation to eliminate or expedite environmental reviews for launch and reentry licenses and permits.

During his first term, Trump lay the groundwork for making the United States a leader in space by establishing the Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces in more than 70 years.

In March, NASA announced a series of initiatives designed to meet Trump’s national space policy and advance American leadership in space.

“The clock is running in this great‑power competition, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in March.

On Nov. 2, the Space Force posted an industry notice saying it was “notionally interested” in launching spacecraft as part of a Cislunar Space System to operate beyond the gravitational orbit.

The service is requesting bids for five spacecraft that should be ready to launch by late 2029 and ready for operations by 2031, according to the notice.

Space Force also launched a new branch called SPACEFOR-SOC, the Space Force’s Special Operations Command, to work directly with the U.S. Special Operations Command on Nov. 2.

Space Force personnel, who are called Guardians, will now join elite special operations units, similar to special forces in the Army and Marines. The headquarters for the unit will be at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.