For close observers of space policy, a likely human return to the Moon has been one of the worst-kept secrets of the new Trump administration. First, new space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Bigelow Aerospace started to introduce plans that involved lunar exploration. Then, Vice President Mike Pence picked Scott Pace to serve as executive director of the National Space Council—a Moon-first guy. Finally, the Trump administration nominated Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma representative who sees the Moon as the critical next step in human exploration, to serve as NASA administrator.

Now, the Trump administration has finally made its lunar ambitions official. In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on the eve of the first National Space Council meeting, Pence has set returning to the lunar surface at the forefront of human exploration.

On the Moon

"We will refocus America's space program toward human exploration and discovery," Pence wrote. "That means launching American astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. It means establishing a renewed American presence on the Moon, a vital strategic goal. And from the foundation of the Moon, America will be the first nation to bring mankind to Mars."

There are several notable phrases in there. The first, "on the Moon," is fairly obvious. In recent years NASA has talked about sending humans to a space station near the Moon but not landing astronauts there. Second, Pence identifies America as the "first nation" to send humans to Mars. This raises questions about the extent to which such a venture, which almost certainly must ultimately have international support to succeed across multiple administrations, will be cast as an international venture.

Finally, Pence refers to bringing "mankind" to Mars, rather than the more inclusive "humankind." This is curious, because when Pence visited Houston to introduce the 2017 astronaut class, five of the 12 candidates were women, as was half of the 2013 class.

Pro-commercial

Left unsaid is how NASA will get humans to the Moon and (eventually, probably decades from now) Mars. He does not mention NASA's Space Launch System rocket nor the Orion spacecraft in his op-ed, both of which are the agency's flagship programs for sending humans into deep space.

Rather, Pence cites the need to "look beyond the halls of government for insight and expertise." He mentions an advisory group composed of commercial space leaders and says, "business is leading the way on space technology, and we intend to draw from the bottomless well of innovation to solve the challenges ahead."

This seems to clearly be a reference to innovative rocket design and reusability coming from new space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Perhaps Pence will elaborate on this issue during the first space council meeting, which begins at 10am ET Thursday.