Under @POTUS, America is returning to the Moon, building a Moon Base, and doing it with contributions from across industry, including @SpaceX and @BlueOrigin, which are building the landers that will return NASA astronauts to the lunar surface.

For those interested in a spent booster impacting the lunar surface, this rare occurrence has decades of history, going back to the Apollo era, when NASA intentionally crashed spent stages into the Moon for science and seismic research. The reality is that meteoroids strike the lunar surface hourly, with impacts comparable to this upper stage occurring roughly every six days. The future lunar base will incorporate reusable spacecraft that not only deliver astronauts and payloads, but also become part of the infrastructure itself.

The NASA logo is recognizable around the world because of the near-impossible feats we have accomplished and all we are still capable of achieving. In some years past, we became comfortable moving at a different pace, one inconsistent with Mercury, Gemini, Apollo or Shuttle. We started outsourcing capabilities that should be essential to any organization built around technical, operational and engineering excellence. For a period of time, we tried to make everyone happy. In most cases, that means no one is happy, because the headlines the interested public was waiting to read took far too long, cost way too much and, in many cases, were never realized at all. The best and brightest across NASA show up to work each day looking to change the world, and that meant dusting off the playbook from decades past and getting after it. We are rebuilding the workforce after a level of outsourced staffing that was indefensible. We are pausing and pivoting away from programs that were not on a path to success, freeing up billions of dollars in resources, and refocusing on the President’s national space policy and the objectives outlined through Ignition, including the missions no other agency, company or even nation is capable of achieving. And we are off to a good start. This is how NASA made the history that inspired so many of us, and this is how we will do it again.

I’ll never forget this sight. Tonight I saw my first aurora from space. Luckily, there is a video to help remember and captured it perfectly. The KP index was over 5 tonight because of a solar event and the sky over Australia lit up and the green snaked across the atmosphere. I was filled with awe and gratitude. It’s a beautiful planet we share.

Testing Galileo's law of motion on the Moon! 55 years ago today, Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott performed his feather and hammer experiment on the Moon, demonstrating that without air resistance all objects fall at the same rate.

It was great to be back at @SpaceX to join Ryne Barry for a conversation with employees and interns about Artemis, Starship, the Moon Base, Mars, and the engineering challenges that will define the next generation of exploration.   It was especially rewarding to meet so many talented interns who represent the next generation of America’s aerospace workforce. I look forward to seeing what they accomplish.

NASA recently recognized one of America’s outstanding engineers. At @SpaceX’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas, I joined Congressman @PeteSessions and McGregor Mayor Jim Lilley to present Andrew Berkowitz with NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement Award. Andrew’s pioneering research to better understand liquid methane and oxygen explosions is helping enable the next generation of rockets that will return Americans to the Moon, establish a sustained U.S. presence on the lunar surface, and prepare us for Mars. America’s greatest achievements in space are built by extraordinary people whose work often happens behind the scenes. Andrew’s contributions will help shape the future of exploration for years to come. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Andrew, and thank you for your contributions to NASA’s mission and America’s future in space.

Not surprised by this endless list of endorsements from law enforcement leaders. These organizations know America needs a confirmed Attorney General. Acting AG Blanche, @DAGToddBlanche, is a patriot. I enjoyed getting to know him and appreciate the work he is doing to uphold the law and protect our country.

NASA recently recognized one of America’s outstanding engineers.   At @SpaceX’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas, I joined Congressman @PeteSessions and McGregor Mayor Jim Moody to present Andrew Berkowitz with NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement Award.   Andrew’s pioneering research to better understand liquid methane and oxygen explosions is helping enable the next generation of rockets that will return Americans to the Moon, establish a sustained U.S. presence on the lunar surface, and prepare us for Mars.   America’s greatest achievements in space are built by extraordinary people whose work often happens behind the scenes. Andrew’s contributions will help shape the future of exploration for years to come.   Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Andrew, and thank you for your contributions to NASA’s mission and America’s future in space.

I finally have all 1.2 million raw image files from my latest mission to ISS! Here is a sample of one of my favorite Milky Way photos, taken from the Cupola with Nikon Z9, Arri Zeiss 15mm lens, T1.8 with custom sidereal drive that cancelled out star motion relative to our orbit.

Later this year, we'll be holding an event at @NASAKennedy to showcase American leadership in aviation, space exploration, and emerging technologies. Join us for a sneak preview on Friday, Aug. 14:

NNSA is proud to partner with @GovNuclear by providing the HALEU needed to support @NASA's SR-1 Freedom mission to Mars and Radiant Industries' advanced reactor projects. Thanks to @rookisaacman for his leadership and partnership in advancing nuclear power for space exploration.

Launch and landing costs are a reality for any mission, so setting those aside, if PROMISE costs even 20% of your low-end estimate, we simply will not fly it. That said, it would be crazy not to take advantage of hardware taxpayers have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in, along with Pu-238 that continues to decay and lose roughly 2% of its potential each year. More than a decade has gone by. How much of this Pu-238 do you want to waste waiting for a mission that does not even exist? I understand the community sometimes likes to take a long time to reach consensus, but under this Administration, we can just do things and put wins on the board for the Moon Base and all the science and discovery it will enable. In my humble opinion, less debate and more frequent wins make it easier to advocate for more resources to do more science.

NASA’s first new wind tunnel in more than 40 years, replacing two dated facilities. We need more of this--free up resources spent maintaining the past so we can better invest in the missions of the future. Congrats to the @NASALangley team!

Check out images from the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at @NASA Langley Research Center, the agency’s first new wind tunnel in more than 40 years!

Great missions start with great people. NASA Force is bringing together exceptional engineers to solve some of the toughest technical challenges in exploration. If you want your work to help return Americans to the Moon, build the @NASAMoonBase, and prepare for Mars, this is your opportunity.

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.