Trump Issues Directive for Development of Nuclear Space Propulsion

Just as Chang’e-5 returns to Earth, President Donald Trump issued the Space Policy Directive # 6 on Dec. 16, calling for the development of space nuclear power, considering it as “vital to maintaining and advancing United States dominance and strategic leadership in space.” The measure creates the notion of Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (SNPP). It also highlights the importance of the technology in other fields and calls for the various departments of government to support the initiative and try to find ways of utilizing the technology for general commercial benefit.