President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believes NASA has a "good shot" at returning astronauts to the Moon's surface before he leaves the White House at the start of 2029, according to a report by France 24.
Speaking in the Oval Office, the Republican president expressed optimism about the progress of the Artemis II program. However, he avoided making absolute guarantees regarding the mission's success.
"Oh, we have a shot at it," Trump said when asked if the U.S. space agency would achieve the goal during his second term. "I mean, we don't like to say 'definitely,' because then you say, 'oh, we failed,'" he added.
Artemis II crew honored
Trump made these remarks while welcoming four Artemis II astronauts who recently completed a mission around the Moon. The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—traveled further into space than any humans previously, according to the outlet.
Their recent journey marked the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years. The mission's success serves as a foundation for the United States' broader goal of a lunar landing in 2028.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who attended the White House event, reinforced the agency's commitment to the timeline. Isaacman told Trump, "we have an achievable plan to go back to the Moon."
Despite this confidence, the mission faces technical hurdles. Industry experts have expressed skepticism regarding whether lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin will be ready for the 2028 target.
Space exploration remains a competitive global race. China is currently working toward its own goal of placing astronauts on the lunar surface by 2030.
During the meeting, Trump jokingly asked Isaacman if a president is permitted to join such space missions. The administrator responded, "We can get working on it Mr President."
