"The directive I'm signing today will refocus AmericPa's space program on human exploration and discovery," he said.

Standing at the president's side as he signed "Space Policy Directive 1" on Monday was Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, one of the last two humans to ever walk on the moon, in a mission that took place 45 years ago this week.

Since that time, no human has ventured out beyond low-Earth orbit. NASA doesn't even have its own space vehicle, having retired the space shuttles in 2011. Americans currently ride up to the International Space Station in Russian capsules, though private space taxis are expected to start ferrying them up as soon as next year.
For now, the ultimate goal for human exploration in space remains Mars. 
"This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish  a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars and, perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond," Trump said.
Exactly how to get to Mars, however, is subject to debate within the space community.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/11/569936446/president-trump-is-sending-nasa-back-to-the-moon
Issa Lara and Signaté Adèle 
Picture  :  Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan, pictured here on Dec. 12, 1972, was among the last people to visit the moon.

NASA 

 

 

Researchers have observed that earthworms can reproduce in a Martian soil simulant, that is, a material that mimics the soil of the Red Planet. This is good news for those who want to grow plants on Mars one day and consume them ...
 
 Earthworms play an important role in the agricultural ecosystem because they recycle organic matter. They grow on the vegetable remains they eat and mix on the ground. Their droppings contain organic matter that is degraded by bacteria, releasing nutrients for plants, such as nitrogen. In addition, by digging galleries, the earthworms ventilate the soil and improve its structure. In addition, they promote access of plants to water and nutrients.
 
 Scientists from the University of Wageningen (Netherlands) observed rocket growth on NASA-supplied Mars soil simulant to which worms had been added. The simulant is a terrestrial material that mimics the physico-chemical properties of the Martian soil. Organic waste from humans on Mars could someday be used to fertilize the soil, but for their experience, researchers have preferred to use pig manure (compost/excrements). The simulant has been compared to sand used for gardening.
 
 Two baby worms are born in the Martian soil simulant.
 
 Initially, there were only adult worms in the simulant. But, surprise: two little earthworms have appeared! "It's clear that manure stimulated growth, especially in Mars's soil simulant, and we saw that worms were active. However, the best surprise came at the end of the experiment, when we found two young worms in the Mars simulant, "said Wieger Wamelink in a statement from the university. 

 The biologist adds that these experiments to grow plants started in 2013 and that a dozen cultivation have been successfully completed: green beans, peas, radishes, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots ... The plants obtained were analyzed to verify that they were consumable. To celebrate this, the researchers invited people who participated in the crowd funding of this research to share a meal with these plants on the menu. 

 

Source: Futura science (http://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/actualites/mars-vers-terre-pourraient-prosperer-sol-mars-69385/)