Thanks to @POTUS and the national space policy, America has a real advantage…but this is a close race. China is moving quickly, and the timeline could come down to months, not years. We’re moving with urgency to return American astronauts to the lunar surface before 2028 and ensure America leads in the next chapter of lunar exploration.

It was a pleasure visiting the DOE @ENERGY at Oak Ridge National Laboratory @ORNL and watching the team at work. Oak Ridge plays a central role in producing the Pu-238 that fuels the RTGs and RHUs NASA relies upon for deep-space science missions. Similar to NASA, you cannot walk through these facilities without developing an extreme appreciation for what engineers achieved decades ago, often with little more than a slide rule. There are reactors and facilities first brought online in the 1960s that still provide capabilities extraordinarily difficult and expensive to replicate today. It is another reminder that previous generations knew how to take on the hard problems, the big bold endeavors, and deliver lasting outcomes. With the support of POTUS and the National Space Policy, @NASA will inevitably pursue more fission-powered missions beyond SR-1 Freedom. We will keep pushing the limits of materials science, operating reactors at higher temperatures and with greater autonomy, improving power-conversion efficiency, and enabling missions throughout the outer solar system. SR-1 is just the beginning of the “Nuclear NASA”. We are grateful to @SecretaryWright, @NNSAWilliams, and congressional leadership for working alongside NASA to make this next 'giant leap' capability possible.

NEVER BET AGAINST @elonmusk “And I never bet against an extremely well-capitalized Elon. So people ask, you know, in my position as NASA Administrator, what do I think of, for example, of SpaceX as an IPO? Like, first of all, I'm thrilled with any of our partners that are essential to undertaking and achieving our mission. Like, again, number one national space policy objective: return American astronauts to the lunar surface, build the moon base out. We can't do it without them. So the fact that they're extremely well-capitalized right now is a fantastic thing, not to mention the engineering talent that's in there. And, you know, I think without question, you know, the greatest entrepreneur and engineer in recent history at the helm.” Mission-critical partner. Capital + talent + the right person at the helm. Never bet against that stack.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman: SpaceX’s Raptor Engines will power America’s return to the Moon and Moon Base. “The Raptor engines that go on the human landing system that we are going to use to put American astronauts back on the moon, not to mention build the moon base, absolutely, they're doing the development and testing at McGregor. There is a space race that's underway. It's going to take the contributions of the best and brightest across the nation, including what's going on right here, the contributions from SpaceX, the supporting community around it to undertake and achieve the near impossible. And Congressman Sessions has been vital, too, that I can tell you, I mean, without our national space policy, without the resources that came from the Working Family Tax Cut Act, NASA would not have the tools, the resources right now to undertake this adventure, to win the next space race, to return to the moon and build the moon base and win.”