'A massive American starfleet': Trump lays out his futuristic vision for US in space

WASHINGTON, DC: President Trump on Friday, August 28, envisioned a “massive American Starfleet” of nuclear-powered spacecraft traveling toward Mars while tying space exploration directly to military power.

The president said NASA is working on a nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft that will launch in 2028 on a Mars mission.

Trump made the remarks during a speech at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston while honoring the Artemis II crew.

Trump outlines a future American Starfleet

Trump said nuclear propulsion would provide “unlimited, essentially unlimited fuel” and described the planned spacecraft as part of a future in which space travel becomes nearly as common as ocean travel.

He said the ship would be “among the first of what will ultimately be a massive American Starfleet,” linking the vision to both space travel and military capabilities. 

Trump said the military is a major factor in the administration’s space ambitions. 

“I don't know if I'd be as enthused about it, but what it's done to our offensive and defensive capability is incredible,” he said.

Trump also connected the expansion of US space capabilities to the Space Force, which he said he created as the sixth branch of the US Armed Forces during his first term. 

“It’s turning out to be one of our most important branches,” Trump said, adding that it would become more important over time.

Space Force becomes part of broader vision

Trump said space-based capabilities had already affected military operations, pointing to information he said came from the Space Force during events involving Venezuela and a blockade.

“We're getting so much of our information from Space Force, as an example, makes us a much better military,” Trump said. 

He also said space had improved the country’s “offensive and defensive capability.”

The president framed space dominance as a national security and economic priority.

“A nation cannot be first on Earth if we're going to be second in space,” he said.

Trump said the United States had moved from 22 combined orbital launches in 2016 to nearly 200 last year, attributing the growth to competition in the private sector and a greater NASA focus on exploration and human spaceflight.

Moon settlement comes before Mars

Trump said American astronauts would return to the lunar surface before the end of his term and plant a flag to mark what he called the site of the first permanent American settlement on the moon.

He said NASA is already working toward Mars, describing the moon as an intermediate destination. 

“You’ll be stopping on the moon, and you're going to be going to Mars,” Trump said.

The president also praised NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and said the agency’s broader ambitions extended “far beyond the moon.” 

He said the administration’s space plans would continue to emphasize exploration while also serving military purposes.

Trump also said the Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for a major launch that weekend, would be “hundreds of times more powerful than Hubble” and help unlock secrets of the universe.

Trump also described the Johnson Space Center as a place of “grit and determination and pure American excellence” and praised the engineers, scientists and other NASA personnel involved in Artemis II.

He also announced plans to sign an executive order beginning the process of creating a US Space Academy, modeled in part on West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy.