Trump highlights NASA nuclear-powered Mars spacecraft mission planned for 2028

Donald Trump said NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars within two years, presenting the mission as a step towards eventually sending astronauts to the planet. The announcement reflects the administration’s wider ambition to expand US activity beyond Earth and establish a lasting presence on the Moon and, later, Mars.

At the UP Summit at Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also spoke of travelling farther into the solar system and advancing towards a crewed Mars mission. NASA’s Artemis plans include testing spacecraft and landing systems in Earth orbit in 2027, followed by a planned lunar landing in early 2028; the article also notes a recent Artemis II lunar flyby. Trump cited a newly issued American Declaration of Freedom in Space, which asserts Americans’ right to explore and settle beyond Earth under US law.