In the 1960s, the United States won the space race decisively by planting the American flag firmly on the moon. Over the next five years, 12 NASA astronauts walked on the moon before the Apollo program, one of the most expensive and scientifically intensive programs undertaken by the U.S., was ultimately canceled.

NASA’s priorities shifted to low Earth orbit, the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

But NASA, as the agency attempts to meet space policies outlined by President Donald Trump, is no longer in the business of trying to “please everyone,” said Jared Isaacman, the agency’s administrator, last weeky during a keynote address at the 41st Space Symposium at The Broadmoor.

During the address at the six-day international gathering of space industry companies, space agencies and space enthusiasts, Isaacman said the U.S. will once again lead the way in space.

The metric of success? A permanent base on the moon, which will take time, he said.

“The early stages will look more like a construction site or even a junkyard, and that’s OK,” he said. “We are leveraging the winning playbook of the 1960s… We are going to take that same iterative evolutionary approach as we learn what works on the moon, because getting to the desired outcome in an achievable and safe and sustainable way is what matters.”

Much of NASA’s direction has come as Trump seeks to assert American superiority in space. The Artemis program, though born of the now-canceled Constellation program, was created by Trump in 2017, who in 2025 issued an executive order that directed NASA to return Americans to the moon by 2028.

The executive order also directs NASA to build a permanent human presence on the moon by 2030, explore economic opportunities on the lunar surface and prepare for Mars missions.

Isaacman sees the moon as a perfect place to test various technologies humanity will need as it ventures deeper and deeper into space.

“It’s the perfect proving ground to master the skills you’ll need for what comes next, the same for in-situ resource manufacturing (use of materials found on the moon) that we’re going to have to master on the moon before we can realistically undertake a mission to Mars,” he said. “Mars, once you’re on the surface, almost assuredly we’re going to be manufacturing propellant there, we’re going to need nuclear power on the surface of Mars to do it.”

NASA, working in partnership with the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, will field a space-based nuclear reactor by 2028 and a moon-based reactor by 2030, according to a memorandum issued Tuesday.

Though a nuclear power source in space is no new idea, the memorandum assigns concrete responsibilities and timelines to federal agencies, according to the Washington Examiner.

“In line with President Trump’s National Space Policy, we are investing in the next giant leap, launching the first-of-its-kind nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship, SR-1 Freedom,” Isaacman said.

Critically, these developments are being undertaken with a consortium of partners — commercial and international, Isaacman said, emphasizing the importance of the Artemis Accords, signed by 61 countries.

And NASA, despite working with the Pentagon on nuclear reactors in space, remains a civilian agency, Isaacman said.

“With respect to NASA, we come in peace,” Isaacman said.