July 20, 2026
Ms. Salinas (for herself, Mr. Self, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Frost, Mr. Fleischmann, Ms. Gillen, Mr. Weber of Texas, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Baird, Mr. Whitesides, Mr. Haridopolos, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Van Epps, and Mr. McDowell) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Supporting the designation of July 20, 2026, as National Moon Landing Day
.
Whereas, on July 20, 1969, Michael Collins orbited the Moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on the Moon, making the Apollo 11 mission the first crewed lunar landing in human history;
Whereas the first crewed lunar landing marked a turning point in human history;
Whereas the first crewed lunar landing inspired a generation of children in the United States to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM
) fields;
Whereas the Apollo missions and subsequent space activities, including research and development aboard the International Space Station, have yielded technological advancements benefitting all of society;
Whereas science aboard the International Space Station continues to provide societal benefits, including by providing a unique microgravity environment for studies seeking to better understand disease and improve human health;
Whereas the Apollo missions continue to drive scientific inquiry today, including through the Apollo Next-Generation Sample Analysis program, which allows researchers to examine lunar samples with cutting edge scientific instrumentation.
Whereas, on December 11, 2017, President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum known as Space Policy Directive-1
calling for the United States to lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization;
Whereas, on August 9, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act (Public Law 117–167), which included the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2022, authorizing the Artemis missions to return the United States to the Moon under the Moon to Mars Program, including with the first woman and person of color;
Whereas the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with its commercial and international partners, is pursuing the Artemis campaign to return humans to the surface of the Moon and one day send humans to Mars;
Whereas, on April 1, 2026, Artemis II launched successfully, completing a 10-day mission that carried 4 astronauts around the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972;
Whereas Artemis II astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hanson inspired the world by travelling farther than humans have ever traveled and returning safely to Earth;
Whereas NASA’s space exploration programs have helped spur a $240,900,000,000 commercial space economy in the United States supporting 373,000 private sector jobs;
Whereas the United States leadership in space, exemplified by the role of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in the culmination of the space race, is critical to the United States national security and economic competitiveness and must be sustained;
Whereas Artemis III and Artemis IV will test new capabilities and return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972;
Whereas human space exploration, including the return of humans to the Moon, provides opportunities for scientific and technological breakthroughs that will contribute to the economy of the future, improve human health, and provide benefits to society; and
Whereas, on December 9, 2021, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 76/76 on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space
, designating July 20 as InterNational Moon Day
: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
supports the designation of National Moon Landing Day
; and
(2)
encourages people in the United States to mark National Moon Landing Day by—
(A)
celebrating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s human spaceflight program astronauts who served on the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Artemis missions and all those who served to make those missions possible, paving the way for all human space activity;
(B)
honoring the fallen astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice during the pursuit of human space exploration;
(C)
honoring the workers and craftspeople on Earth who study, design, fabricate, and construct the technologies that allow human space exploration;
(D)
educating their friends, neighbors, and elected representatives about the value of human space exploration to the economy, society, and human health;
(E)
inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; and
(F)
celebrating the United States continued leadership in space and return to the Moon through the Artemis missions and the Moon to Mars Program.