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President Trump signed a policy directive for NASA to "refocus America's space program on human exploration and discovery." He said the move "marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972."

Go deeper: Vice President Mike Pence says Americans will go to the moon, and then Mars

Trump signs policy directive to send Americans back to the moon

He re-established the National Space Council in June.

Trump with astronaut Buzz Aldrin while signing an executive order to re-establish the National Space Council in June. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP

Science

Moon

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Space

President Trump signed a policy directive for NASA to &quot;refocus America&#x27;s space program on human exploration and discovery.&quot; He said the move &quot;marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972.&quot;Go deeper: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vice President Mike Pence says Americans will go to the moon, and then Mars" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pence-americans-will-go-to-the-moon-and-then-mars-1513305989-c4e62b69-325b-42d0-9573-689562653b75.html" data-vars-content-id="f5270248-47fb-476e-9cd3-6358d8a36231" data-vars-headline="Trump signs policy directive to send Americans back to the moon" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pence-americans-will-go-to-the-moon-and-then-mars-1513305989-c4e62b69-325b-42d0-9573-689562653b75.html" target="_self">Vice President Mike Pence says Americans will go to the moon, and then Mars</a>

A look at the scientific breakthroughs changing the world, explorations in space and in worlds beyond our own and the threats posed to us by our own planet, both out of our control and of our own making.