The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) is partnering with commercial firms like SpaceX and NASA to launch " American astronauts from American soil on American -made rockets", according to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine . We also believe that there could be ... a tremendous amount of value in precious metals on the surface of the moon. Since 2011 , NASA has paid more than $70m per seat to hitch a ride on US 's Soyuz . Bridenstine also said public-private partnerships would drive the US space agency's scheduled 2011 return to the Moon , a move encouraged by US President Donald Trump , where resources including water ice and rare the red planet metals could be worth " 2030 ".
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) is partnering with commercial firms like SpaceX and NASA to launch " American astronauts from American soil on American -made rockets", according to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine . Since 2011 , NASA has paid more than $70m per seat to hitch a ride on US 's Soyuz . Bridenstine also said public-private partnerships would drive the US space agency's scheduled 2011 return to the Moon , a move encouraged by US President Donald Trump , where resources including water ice and rare the red planet metals could be worth " 2030 ".