President Donald Trump just laid out what might be the most ambitious American space agenda in decades. On Thursday, he signed an executive order called "Ensuring American Space Superiority" that sets some pretty aggressive targets: Americans back on the Moon by 2028, and preparations underway for eventual Mars missions.

Moon Base With Nuclear Power

Here's where it gets interesting. Trump's plan doesn't just call for a quick visit to the lunar surface. The order outlines deploying nuclear reactors and establishing an actual outpost on the Moon by 2030. Think of it as a permanent presence rather than flags and footprints.

There's a bit of irony here, though. Elon Musk, who's firmly back in Trump's inner circle, has been vocal about his skepticism toward nuclear energy. Musk prefers solar power, repeatedly calling the Sun an "enormous, free fusion reactor in the sky." So you've got a space policy pushing nuclear reactors championed by a president whose close advisor thinks solar is the way to go.

Speaking of Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and SpaceX, the company recently highlighted its capabilities for collaborating with NASA on Moon and Mars missions. Musk has consistently touted SpaceX's Starship rocket as the ideal vehicle for landing humans on Mars.

Money and Infrastructure

The executive order sets a target of attracting over $50 billion in additional investment into American space markets by 2028. Trump also wants to increase launch and reentry frequency through new and upgraded facilities.

And then there's the International Space Station. Trump's order opens the door for private companies to replace the ISS by 2030. He also doubled down on his Golden Dome defense system ambitions, promising prototype demonstrations by 2028.

Isaacman Takes the Helm at NASA

On Wednesday, NASA confirmed Jared Isaacman as its 15th Administrator. Isaacman, who's CEO of Shift4 Payments Inc. (FOUR) and a close Musk ally, outlined his goal of returning Americans to the Moon and delivering on Trump's "vision of planting the Stars and Stripes on Mars."

The appointment had some drama attached to it. Trump initially withdrew Isaacman's nomination, reportedly citing previous political associations as tensions flared between the President and Musk. But Trump reversed course last month, reinstating the nomination and praising Isaacman as an "accomplished business leader."

Data Centers in Space

All of this is happening as Musk and SpaceX push their vision for solar-powered AI data center satellites in orbit. Musk argues this approach is more cost-effective than ground-based data centers on Earth.

He's not alone in this thinking. Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin, has also voiced support for putting data centers in space. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) (GOOG) CEO Sundar Pichai is backing Project Suncatcher, which aims to launch a low Earth orbit data center powered by solar energy.

So while Trump pushes nuclear reactors for the Moon, the tech billionaires are betting on solar power for orbital infrastructure. It'll be fascinating to see how these competing visions play out over the next few years.