Opinion

Trump wants a moon landing by 2028, so why is NASA already hedging?

Will it be impossible to meet President Trump’s stated objective of landing Americans back on the moon by 2028?

By Douglas MacKinnon Fox News

Published April 9, 2026 7:00am EDT

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Last December, Space.com featured a headline that read: "The US must beat China to the moon, Trump pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman tells Senate: ‘If we make a mistake, we may never catch up.’" The quote came from now-NASA Administrator Isaacman’s confirmation hearing before the Senate.

That headline was pulled from his opening statement, where Isaacman further stressed: "We are in a great competition with a rival that has the will and means to challenge American exceptionalism across multiple domains, including in the high ground of space. This is not the time for delay, but for action, because if we fall behind, if we make a mistake, we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth."

I couldn't agree more. The question is, does Isaacman still believe his own warning?

NASA CHIEF VOWS FOUR MOON MISSIONS BEFORE TRUMP'S TERM ENDS IN AMBITIOUS 2028 TIMELINE

During a recent interview with Fox News as Artemis II headed toward the moon, Isaacman said, in part: "On my first day on the job during President Trump's second term, he gave us a national space policy, a mandate to go to the moon with frequency, build the moon base and do the other things like nuclear power and propulsion so someday American astronauts can plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars …" What? "Go to the moon with frequency"? The........

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