May 5 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Monday celebrated National Astronaut Day on the 64th anniversary of Alan Shepard becoming the first American to go into space.
On May 5, 1961, Shepard's Freedom 7 capsule reached an altitude of 116.5 miles in a suborbit for 15 minutes. One month earlier on April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin from the Soviet Union was the first human in space when he orbited Earth at an altitude of 187 miles aboard Vostok 1.
"Sixty-four years ago today, a brave American sat in the cockpit of the Mercury rocket, ready to face the unknown," Trump wrote in a message. " After years of scientific advancement and growing competition in space exploration, Commander Alan B. Shepard undertook a dangerous mission that held the promise of groundbreaking achievement, national pride, and a future defined by American leadership in space.
"With three simple words -- "light this candle" -- Shepard launched into the vast expanse of space, becoming the first American to break the bounds of Earth. His spacecraft, Freedom 7, was a tribute to the seven Project Mercury astronauts, and to one of our Nation's founding principles: freedom. "
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Trump also noted other achievements.
"Just 8 years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the Stars and Stripes on the Moon," Trump wrote about the world's first moon landing on July 20, 1969.
And last month, "we saw the same strength again when I ordered the rescue of stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose 8-day mission turned into a 286-day journey aboard the International Space Station," Trump wrote. "It was the vitality of our Nation's space programs that rose to the challenge and brought them safely home."
Boeing sent those two astronauts into space and they returned on a SpaceX mission after NASA and Boeing scrapped their return aboard the capsule.
Through November, NASA said there are 47 active astronauts, 12 management astronauts, and 332 former astronauts or payload specialists, including those who have left NASA and those who are dead.
A total of 12 U.S. astronauts have walked on the moon through the Apollo program, including Shepard. From 1968 to 1972, another 12 flew to the moon but didn't land on the lunar surface.
SpaceX has sent 60 people into space, including 45 on NASA missions and 15 on commercial ones. This includes sending personnel to the International Space Station.
In 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration listed an astronaut as employed by an FAA-certified company performing the launch, reached an altitude higher than 50 miles above Earth and demonstrated activities "essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety."
That means individuals who purchased seats on commercial flights, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin or Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, may not be considered astronauts by the U.S. government.
Trump said he is committed to space exploration.
"As we celebrate National Astronaut Day, we honor the legacy of those who have blazed the trail into the final frontier," he wrote. "Under my leadership, America's space program will continue to push the boundaries of discoveries, with bold plans for lunar missions, Mars exploration, and beyond. By fostering innovation, strengthening our partnerships with private space companies, and advancing our technological capabilities, we are ensuring that the United States remains the global leader in space for generations to come."
In a proposed federal budget released last week, Trump plans to cut 24.3%, $6 billion, from NASA, including allocating $1 billion to Mars-focused initiatives.
NASA's fiscal 2024 budget was $24.8 billion in contrast to the $18.8 billion proposed. U.S. Congress needs to approve the budget.
More than $7 billion has been allocated for moon exploration.
NASA's new funding focuses on "beating China back to the Moon and on putting the first human on Mars," according to the budget report.
