Trump releases the "American Declaration of Freedom in Space," saying space is open to Americans for settlement and freedom
The White House on November 3 released Trump’s signed “The American Declaration of Freedom in Space” (The American Declaration of Freedom in Space). The declaration says that the solar system and all outer space beyond Earth are the domain of all humankind, and that the United States will lead the exploration, development, use, and settlement of these new frontiers, and forge an interstellar civilization built on freedom and the rights of individual liberty.
The declaration reiterates that the United States will return to the Moon before 2028, establish a permanent lunar presence, and accelerate the process of the first American setting foot on Mars. A NASA spokesperson said the agency is committed to turning this vision into reality, including returning to the lunar surface through the Artemis III mission in 2027, establishing the first lunar base in 2028, and using that as a path to Mars.
Meanwhile, NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft named Space Reactor-1 Freedom to Mars in 2028, carrying multiple Ingenuity-class helicopters for surface exploration. The mission will test nuclear electric propulsion technology using existing Gateway hardware and a 20-kilowatt fission reactor.
Original source:
Title: THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF FREEDOM IN SPACE Publisher: The White House Date of publication: 2026-11-03 URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/11/the-american-declaration-of-freedom-in-space/ Nature of source: presidential proclamation Verification status: This reading of the White House original text and NASA-related plans has been confirmed, verification date 2026-11-06 Supported content: supports all core content of the main text and the description of the NASA mission
ABAB AI Insight
Trump signed and released the “American Declaration of Freedom in Space” on November 3, saying that outer space beyond the solar system and Earth is the domain of all humankind, and that the United States will lead its exploration, development, use, and settlement, and forge an interstellar civilization built on freedom and the rights of individual liberty. The declaration reiterates returning to the Moon before 2028 and establishing a permanent presence, as well as accelerating the first American landing on Mars.
On the policy and technical side, a NASA spokesperson said the agency will return to the lunar surface through Artemis III in 2027, establish the first lunar base in 2028, and use that as a path to Mars. At the same time, NASA plans to launch the nuclear-powered spacecraft Space Reactor-1 Freedom to Mars in December 2028, carrying multiple Ingenuity-class helicopters and testing nuclear electric propulsion technology. The mission will use existing Gateway hardware and an approximately 20-kilowatt fission reactor.
Compared with the executive order “Ensuring American Space Superiority” signed by Trump in December 2025, this declaration further clarifies the language of space settlement and interstellar civilization. The similarity is that both emphasize U.S. leadership and the goal of returning to the Moon; the key difference is that the declaration explicitly calls outer space the “domain of all humankind” and opens it to U.S. citizens to establish a permanent presence, while NASA advances a 2028 nuclear-powered Mars mission.
For NASA, the declaration provides a policy framework, while the SR-1 Freedom mission will test nuclear electric propulsion in 2028. For commercial space, the declaration emphasizes that U.S. citizens may carry out development and settlement provided they comply with U.S. law and international obligations. Internationally, the declaration does not claim sovereignty, but it clearly states that the United States will lead the relevant activities.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
The declaration says that the solar system and outer space are the domain of all humankind, open to U.S. citizens for exploration, development, use, and settlement.
It reiterates returning to the Moon before 2028 and establishing a permanent presence, and accelerating the first American landing on Mars.
NASA plans to launch the nuclear-powered spacecraft Space Reactor-1 Freedom to Mars in 2028 to test nuclear electric propulsion.