“The directive I am signing today will refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery. It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use. This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, worlds beyond". -Donald Trump In December 2017, with these words, the President of the United States of America set a turning point in the space exploration program, establishing the human exploration of the Moon as top priority of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the 2020s.