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NASA scrambles to meet Trump administration mandate to put people on the moon by 2024

Another push to return to the moon — this time by the Trump administration — has critics wondering if such on-and-off again plans in recent years it is akin the the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy keep pulling away the football as Charlie Brown tries to kick it.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the goal last week to return to the moon by 2024, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Monday the agency will need additional funding to meet it. He told a NASA town hall meeting he is also aware that past administrations set goals to reach the moon or Mars, only to pull them back as Congress failed to fund them or a new administrations canceled plans.