在近期中期选举及其惊人结果的强光掩盖下，特朗普总统发布了一份名为《太空美国自由宣言》的公告。该文件指出，美国的政策将是开放太阳系，“建立一个建立在持久且不可剥夺的自由与个人自由权利之上的星际文明”。该宣言援引阿波罗登月计划的遗产和正在进行的阿尔忒弥斯计划，为美国的太空事业设定了一个超越重返月球和前往火星的终极目标。
Lost in the glare of the recent midterms and their startling results, President Trump released a proclamation entitled The American Declaration of Freedom in Space. The document states that American policy will be to open up the solar system “forging an interplanetary civilization founded on the enduring and inalienable rights of freedom and individual liberty.”Summoning the legacy of the Apollo moon landings and the ongoing Artemis program, Trump’s proclamation set an ultimate goal for America’s space effort that goes beyond just returning to the moon and going on to Mars.
文件声明：“太阳系以及地球以外的所有外层空间属于全人类，并向美国公民开放，供其依据美国法律和美国的国际义务进行探索、开发、利用和建立永久存在。”正如所指出的，该宣言并未通过宣称太阳系为美国主权领土而搁置《外层空间条约》。但它坚定地确立了美国将引领赢得太空这一制高点的原则。
It states that “the solar system and all of outer space beyond Earth are the province of all humans and are open to exploration, development, use, and the establishment of a permanent presence by American citizens consistent with United States law and the international obligations of the United States.”As noted, the proclamation does not set aside the Outer Space Treaty by claiming the solar system for the U.S. as sovereign territory. But it is firm in the principle that the U.S. will lead the winning of the high frontier of space.
就在几年前，特朗普的这份宣言及其中包含的愿景，似乎更像是科幻小说的情节，而非政府政策。如今，即使是批评者也几乎未对该文件发表评论。阿尔忒弥斯计划的广泛接受，以及以SpaceX和蓝色起源为代表的商业航天部门的崛起，已将星际文明的梦想变为一个极可能的未来。
A few short years ago, Trump’s proclamation and the vision contained within it would have seemed to be more a scenario of a science fiction story than government policy. Now, the document has been barely remarked on, even by critics. The wide acceptance of the Artemis program and the rise of the commercial space sector, as exemplified by SpaceX and Blue Origin, have made dreams of an interplanetary civilization into a likely future.
中期选举三天后，特朗普总统前往佛罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心，在“最大功率”技术展暨航空表演上发表讲话。演讲部分内容涉及中期选举及其他现实议题，但核心在于赞颂航天计划，以及核能、人类基因组计划等技术进步。他提到即将到来的“阿耳忒弥斯四号”登月任务，任务计划于2028年启动，那一年是他现任也是最后一个任期的最后一年。
Three days after the midterms, President Trump traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to deliver remarks at Max Power, a technology exhibition and air show. Some of his speech covered the midterms and more Earthly issues. But the heart of what the president had to say celebrated the space program, as well as technological advances such as nuclear power and the Human Genome Project. He noted the upcoming Artemis IV moon landing, with missions scheduled to begin in 2028, the final year of his current and last term in office.
次日，美国国家航空航天局（NASA）宣布了“商业月球有效载荷服务”计划下一阶段的合同授予情况。
The very next day, NASA announced contracts issued under the next phase of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
“这些投资将推进商业机器人运送服务、名为‘承诺’的核动力月球车、发射与轨道转移服务，以及地表基础设施建设，以便该机构同美国工业界合作，在月球南极建立持续存在。” 无论发生什么，唐纳德·特朗普在2029年1月20日后都不会再担任美国总统。共和党在最近的中期选举中遭遇惨败后，特朗普面临两项任务。他必须抵御士气大振的国会民主党人的攻势，同时必须建立持久的政治遗产。
“The investments will advance commercial robotic deliveries, a nuclear-powered rover named PROMISE, launch and orbital transfer services, and surface infrastructure as the agency works with American industry to establish a sustained presence on the Moon’s South Pole.”No matter what happens, Donald Trump will not be president of the United States after Jan. 20, 2029. After the thumping that the Republicans received in the recent midterms, Trump has two things to do. He has to hold the line against emboldened congressional Democrats, and he has to build a lasting legacy.
第一项任务本应相对简单。正如奥巴马总统在2014年中期选举失利后那样，特朗普手握否决权大笔和电话。他将不得不抵御针对埃隆·马斯克的攻击，这位企业家对人类文明向太阳系扩展至关重要。
The first task should be straightforward. Like President Obama after his midterm defeat in 2014, Trump has a veto pen and a phone. He will have to fend off attacks on Elon Musk, the entrepreneur crucial to the spread of human civilization across the solar system.
对于第二项任务，特朗普应参考里根总统在1986年中期选举后的榜样。里根因“伊朗门”丑闻遭遇无休止的调查和弹劾威胁，正如特朗普因众多真实或被感知的过失而可能面临的局面。
For the second task, Trump should look to the example of President Reagan after the 1986 midterm elections. Reagan was the subject of endless investigations and threats of impeachment surrounding the Iran-Contra scandal, just as Trump is likely to be because of a multitude of real and perceived sins.
尽管如此，里根卸任时的支持率仍高达 63%。随后，随着柏林墙倒塌，继而苏联解体，他成了一位世界历史级人物，与华盛顿、林肯并列。顺便提一下，里根的遗产还包括那个最终被称为国际空间站的轨道实验室。
Despite all that, Reagan left office with a 63 percent approval rating. Then, when the Berlin Wall fell, followed by the Soviet Union, he became a world historic figure, mentioned in the same breath as Washington and Lincoln. Incidentally, Reagan’s legacy also includes the orbiting laboratory that eventually became known as the International Space Station.
如果一切按计划进行，在令人厌烦的否决权争斗和没完没了的调查之中，2028 年美国宇航员将登上月球。美国和世界将停下来，惊叹地注视这一景象——自尼克松执政以来从未见过。
If all goes as planned, in the midst of the tiresome veto fights and endless investigations, in 2028, American astronauts will walk on the moon. America and the world will stop and watch in wonder at the sight, not seen since Richard Nixon was in office.
无论人们对特朗普有何感受，恨他也好，爱他也罢，一个不可改变的事实将是：是他启动了下一次登月漫步。“阿耳忒弥斯”计划经受住了政府更迭和国会换届的考验。这是大多数美国人、无论站在政治分歧的哪一边，都一致认为光荣且美好的一件事。
No matter what one feels about Trump, hate him or love him, the unalterable fact will be that he set that next moonwalk in motion. The Artemis program has survived changes of administrations and congresses. It is one thing that most Americans, on both sides of the political divide, agree is glorious and good.
想一想肯尼迪总统。人们记住他的两件事是：他遭遇刺杀，以及他向月球竞赛抛出了挑战书。
Think of President John F. Kennedy. Two things are remembered of him. He was assassinated and he threw down the gauntlet for the race to the moon.
特朗普总统即将比肯尼迪做得更好。“阿波罗”计划已经结束。“阿耳忒弥斯”计划及其后续计划将永不结束。这算不上坏遗产。
President Trump is about to do Kennedy one better. The Apollo program ended. The Artemis program and what will follow will never end. Not a bad legacy.
马克·R·惠廷顿经常撰写航天政策文章，出版过关于太空探索的政治研究著作《为什么重返月球如此难？》《月球、火星与更远的地方》，以及最近的《为什么美国要重返月球？》他在“暴躁鬼角落”撰写博客。
Mark R. Whittington, who writes frequently about space policy, has published a political study of space exploration entitled “Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?” as well as “The Moon, Mars and Beyond” and, most recently, “Why is America Going Back to the Moon?”He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner.