Trump Proclaims "American Declaration of Freedom in Space," Sets 2028 Moon Return
President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation on November 3, 2026, titled the American Declaration of Freedom in Space, reaffirming that the solar system and all outer space beyond Earth are open to exploration, development, use, and permanent settlement by American citizens. The proclamation commits the United States to returning to the Moon by 2028 and establishing a permanent American lunar presence.
The document frames space leadership as central to American prosperity and national security. It states that the United States has always led in space exploration, citing the Apollo 11 astronauts who took humanity's first steps on the Moon and the rovers that explored the surface of Mars. The proclamation describes this legacy of innovation as a sacred inheritance and asserts the nation's responsibility to advance it.
The proclamation references recent milestones in the current administration's space program. In April 2026, the Artemis II mission carried astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than any human had previously traveled. The document describes this as only the beginning and states that Artemis III, scheduled for next summer, will undertake one of the most complex and consequential test flight campaigns in the history of the nation's space program.
The proclamation lays out broader objectives beyond the lunar return. It pledges to lay the foundation for a permanent American lunar presence and to hasten the day when an American becomes the first human to set foot on Mars. It states the intent to build facilities, develop resources, and establish a permanent presence in space to extend the reach of American exploration and strengthen national security.
In the operative language, Trump proclaimed that the solar system and all outer space beyond Earth are the province of all humans and are open to exploration, development, use, and the establishment of a permanent presence by American citizens, consistent with United States law and the international obligations of the United States. The proclamation references landmark Executive Orders and directives the President has signed to reinvigorate human spaceflight and support a commercial space industry.
The proclamation states that the nation that leads in space will shape the future of humanity and that the nation with the best scientific understanding of space, the most advanced space economy, and the greatest spacefaring citizens will be the most prosperous for centuries to come. It pledges to carry values of faith and freedom wherever the nation journeys.
The proclamation names Artemis III as the next major milestone, scheduled for the summer following the signing, and sets 2028 as the target for returning to the Moon and beginning a permanent lunar presence.