Within hours of NASA’s latest permanent administrator being officially sworn in, President Donald Trump issued an executive order pushing forward a policy of American superiority in outer space.

“Superiority in space is a measure of national vision and willpower, and the technologies Americans develop to achieve it contribute substantially to the nation’s strength, security, and prosperity,” Trump said in the order.

“The United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery, secure the nation’s vital economic and security interests, unleash commercial development, and lay the foundation for a new space age.”

The order outlines the administration’s space policy, focused on four major priorities: expanding humanity’s reach and the United States’ presence in space as the world leader in space exploration; defending and securing the United States’ “vital national and economic security interests” to, from, and in space; utilizing American free enterprise to grow a “vibrant commercial space economy,” and enabling “the next century of space achievements” through developing and deploying advanced capabilities.

Several specific goals are listed with fast-approaching deadlines.

By 2028, the United States needs to return Americans to the moon, demonstrate prototype next-generation missile defense technologies, and attract at least $50 billion of investment into the United States’ space markets.

By 2030, the United States needs to establish the foundational elements of a permanent lunar outpost, as well as ensure that a lunar surface nuclear reactor is ready to launch, and secure a commercial pathway to replace the International Space Station.

Other objectives include enhancing the overall cost-effectiveness and sustainability of the growing spacefaring economy through investments in Earth-bound infrastructure, such as launching and landing areas, improving business models, and enabling commercial launch operations.

The president also said the United States should set the standards for space operations such as traffic management, mitigation of orbital debris, and lunar navigation, to lay a foundation necessary to put the U.S. flag on Mars.

With the coordination of the assistant to the president for science and technology, several department and agency leaders have been tasked with providing plans to achieve these objectives in a matter of months.

Guidance on establishing the National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power, in coordination with relevant department and agency heads, needs to be issued in the next 60 days.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has 90 days to work on a plan to lead the world in space exploration and expand human reach and “American presence in space.”

That should include plans to lessen gaps in the supply chain, technology, or industrial capacity relevant to reaching goals with available funds.

Isaacman also has 90 days to work with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to identify which major space acquisition programs are more than 30 percent behind schedule, 30 percent over budget, and those either are unable to meet their objectives or are not aligned with the order’s priorities.

Remediation plans must also be presented.

Within 120 days, Isaacman and Secretary of State Marco Rubio must “ensure that international civil space cooperation arrangements involving NASA support the policy priorities in this order,” including terminating existing arrangements if appropriate and initiating new ones.

It is unclear at this time how this executive order will affect NASA’s current agreements with international partners such as the European Space Agency, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

It is also unknown how this will affect the Artemis Accords.

And within the next 180 days, Isaacman and Lutnick must optimize their respective space acquisition processes.

Meanwhile, War Secretary Pete Hegseth was tasked with working with National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and the assistant to the president for national security affairs to submit, within 90 days, a report outlining “any technology, supply chain, or industrial capacity gaps” to materially enhance U.S. air and missile defenses, and mitigation plans within available funding.

The trio also has 180 days to work with other relevant agencies or departments to “implement a space security strategy that accounts for United States interests in, from, and to space,” as well as current and potential threats from low Earth orbit through cislunar space.

It must also account for identifying and countering the potential placement of nuclear weapons in space.

A plan for adaptive and responsive national space security architecture must also be submitted, in addition to a plan to strengthen allies and partners to maintain collective space security.

This push to prioritize space through the new year comes as NASA prepares to send its first manned crew around the moon since 1972 as part of its Artemis II mission.

The launch window opens in early February with the goal to launch no later than April 30.