White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on February 4 that President Joe Biden fully supports NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the Moon—though the 2024 target is likely to slip.
In 2017, the Trump administration directed NASA to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024 under what became the Artemis program. Unlike Apollo's brief visits, Artemis aims to establish permanent facilities at the lunar South Pole for sustained human presence.
Industry experts always viewed the 2024 goal as ambitious, partly motivated by the prospect of achieving it under a potential second Trump term. But since January, President Joe Biden has been at the helm.
Until now, Biden had been quiet on NASA's lunar ambitions, sparking concerns his administration might scrap Artemis to prioritize climate initiatives.
Psaki put those fears to rest during Thursday's briefing: "The United States government will continue to work with industry and international partners to send astronauts, the next man and the first woman, to the Moon," she stated. "We support this effort and this endeavor."
Responding to a reporter, Psaki sidestepped the 2024 deadline set by Trump. Last year, a bipartisan U.S. House push aligned it closer to NASA's preferred 2028 target. The actual landing will likely fall somewhere between.
Artemis I remains on track for November, when NASA's decade-in-development 98-meter Space Launch System (SLS) will loft an uncrewed Orion capsule. It will orbit the Moon before splashing down on Earth. Readiness hinges on upcoming tests—a second static fire is slated for late this month after January 16's abort.
