In five years, American astronauts will not only go back to the Moon but will remain there to create a reliable base that will allow in the future counting on a human flight to Mars. This Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview with CBS.

The politician assured that the administration will continue to support the project of the Orion rocket, which will deliver astronauts to the Moon in 2024. “Under the previous administrations, this project was underfunded and did not receive the necessary attention. Our administration will not make such a mistake,” Pence assured. According to him, President Donald Trump, in any case, expects to return Americans to the Moon, because it, in his opinion, should make the United States a leader in the development of outer space.

Asked by a CBS journalist whether the Vice President believes that the astronaut will be able to land on the red planet in the near future, Pence said that he was sure of it.

On July 4, during the celebration of Independence Day, Trump made a speech in which he promised not only to return to the Moon but also to set the American flag on Mars. To do this, the state budget is expected to allocate $ 1.6 billion.

For the mission of the Orion spacecraft to the moon, it is planned to use a super-heavy launch vehicle Space Launch System (SLS). At the same time, the head of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, admitted the possibility of choosing another rocket.