Vice President Mike Pence is calling for the landing of astronauts on the moon within five years.
At a meeting of the National Space Council in Huntsville, Alabama, Mr Pence said Nasa needs to achieve that goal “by any means necessary”.
Joined by Apollo 11 astronaut @TheRealBuzz at today's National Space Council Meeting, @VP talks about our next giant leap to return @NASA_Astronauts to the Moon and develop technology to go to Mars and worlds beyond. Watch: https://t.co/mzKW5uDsTi pic.twitter.com/o8sgPtVM6h
— NASA (@NASA) March 26, 2019
He said Nasa rockets will be replaced by commercial rockets, if necessary, given this new sense of urgency.
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
Mr Pence said the first woman on the moon and the next man there will be US astronauts launched by US rockets from US soil.
Mr Pence leads the National Space Council.
Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine told the group that Nasa will do everything possible to meet the deadline.