NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman gave his first post-Artemis II mission interview to Fox News and he made it clear that President Donald Trump wants Americans on Mars.

Isaacman joined Kayleigh McEnany by phone on Fox News’ Saturday in America while he and the Artemis astronauts were en route back to Houston following their successful moon mission.

According to Isaacman, the moon orbit mission was “just an opening act” and the next plan is building a base on the moon. After that, according to Isaacman, Trump has repeatedly pushed him for an eventual mission to Mars where the United States throws the “stars and stripes” into the surface.

“He said, let’s make sure we stay focused, we get back to the surface of the moon, which we’re on track to do. And he always reminds me, keep thinking about Mars,” Isaacman said.

Check out the exchange below:

JARED ISAACMAN: We are absolutely on an achievable path now. There is no question President Trump gave us the Artemis program that’s currently underway right now during his first term. As you know, he gave us the resources to actually execute on an achievable plan through the Working Family Tax Cut Act and the mandate not just to go back to the moon with the national space policy, but to go to back to stay to build the moon base. And as the president likes to tell me all the time, let’s figure out what we need to to go to Mars, and that’s exactly why you build a moon base, to master the skills that we can send American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on Mars someday.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY: Do we have an estimated date for that or is it just a work in progress?

ISAACMAN: We are getting underway building the moon base essentially right now. You are going to see the public is going to be able to follow along. Starting in early 2027, you’re going to see uncrewed robotic landings on the south pole of the moon on almost monthly cadence as we test out mobility, crewed mobility, uncrew mobility, power, navigation and the in situ resource manufacturing, which is going to be paramount for future missions to Mars. So we’re starting that in twenty seven while in parallel working on our crewed program, our astronaut program, Artemis 3 will fly in 2027 and Artemis 2028 is when American boots are back on the surface of the moon.

MCENANY: Can’t wait to see that. And final question for you. I know you’re en route now. You were on the ship with the astronauts. You guys are in route home back to Houston now. But President Trump, they apparently rolled a TV and for him into his meeting so he could watch this live as I did as every household in America did. I’m asking you, have you spoken with the president? Have you guys, I assume you’ve touched gloves since this.

ISAACMAN: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the President of the United States loves what we’re doing at NASA. Again, he created the Artemis program and then he created a space force to look out for us in the high ground of space. He called me several times leading into the launch of this mission. He checked in once they were on orbit and he called right after they splashed down. He’s incredibly excited about what America just accomplished again, ensuring American leadership in space. He said, let’s make sure we stay focused, we get back to the surface of the moon, which we’re on track to do. And he always reminds me, keep thinking about Mars.

Watch above via Fox News.

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