Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that if elected president he will push for a base on the moon.
“By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American,” said Mr. Gingrich, speaking to an audience in Florida. “I will as president, encourage the introduction of the northwest ordinance for space to put a marker down that we want Americans to think boldly about the future and we want Americans to go out and study hard and work hard and together we’re going to unleash the American people to build the country we love.”
The Georgia Republican, who has expressed interest in promoting space and science under his administration, was greeted by supporters late Wednesday during his latest trip to the state.
Mr. Gingrich’s speech comes as polls show him leading former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in Florida, and as Republicans have increased their criticism of the former House speaker.
In his remarks Wednesday, Mr. Gingrich dismissed the notion that his ideas were over the top, pointing to previous presidents and inventors who ushered in new eras of technology.
“I was attacked the other night for being grandiose. I would just want you to note: Lincoln standing at Council Bluffs was grandiose. The Wright Brothers standing at Kitty Hawk were grandiose. John F. Kennedy was grandiose. I accept the charge that I am grandiose and that Americans are instinctively grandiose,” said Mr. Gingrich.
It remains unclear how the issue of building a moon base will play with voters in the state. The state has suffered job losses in recent months after President Obama halted a planned mission to the moon by NASA, and retired the nation’s fleet of space shuttles. Recent reports from Russian television noted that NASA and the head of Russia’s space agency has recently begun plans for building a base on the moon. NASA officials denied that claim earlier this month, saying there is no credibility to the claim.
