Trump Seeks to Solidify Legacy with Artemis II Moon Mission

The impending Artemis II mission to the Moon offers former President Donald Trump a chance to solidify his space policy legacy, even as he faces an array of legal and political challenges in the present day. Trump's administration was instrumental in reviving the nation's ambitions for human spaceflight, setting the stage for the Artemis program that will see the first woman and person of color walk on the lunar surface.

During his time in office, Trump repeatedly touted the importance of returning to the Moon, even setting an aggressive timeline of 2024 for the first crewed Artemis landing. While that target date has since slipped, the overall Artemis program remains on track, with the uncrewed Artemis I mission successfully completing its voyage around the Moon last year.

Now, as the Artemis II mission prepares to send astronauts on a lunar flyby, Trump sees an opportunity to cement his legacy as a president who prioritized space exploration and the revival of American ambitions beyond low-Earth orbit. "This is Trump's moment," said John Logsdon, professor emeritus at the George Washington University's Space Policy Institute. "He can say, 'I set this in motion, and now it's coming to fruition.'"

The former president's supporters have already begun making the case that Trump deserves credit for the Artemis program's progress, even as his successor, President Joe Biden, has continued to support and fund the initiative. Biden has, in fact, maintained much of the Trump administration's space policy, including the goal of returning humans to the Moon.

However, Trump's ability to fully capitalize on the Artemis II mission may be limited by his current legal and political challenges. The former president faces a range of investigations, including the Justice Department's probe into his handling of classified documents and the ongoing inquiry into the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.

Despite these obstacles, Trump and his allies are likely to seize on the Artemis II mission as a way to bolster his image and political standing, especially among his core supporters who view him as a champion of American exceptionalism and technological achievement. The former president has long touted his administration's space policy accomplishments, including the creation of the Space Force and the resurgence of American leadership in human spaceflight.

As the Artemis II mission draws closer, Trump and his team will likely seek to leverage the event to their political advantage, potentially using it as a platform to tout his broader policy agenda and make the case for a potential 2024 presidential run. Whether he is ultimately able to translate the mission's success into a meaningful boost to his political fortunes remains to be seen.