Trump’s space plan envisages US moon base amid race with China

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to return astronauts to the moon through Nasa’s Artemis space programme with an eye toward building a permanent lunar presence. The directive reinforces Nasa’s current plans for sending Americans back to the moon by 2028 and for Americans to begin establishing the outpost by 2030. It also confirms plans to deploy nuclear reactors “on the moon and in orbit”. Thursday’s order also calls for the elimination of the National Space...