Washington (AFP)

US President Donald Trump is not really interested in the moon. He took the opportunity on Friday of a meeting with Apollo 11 astronauts to once again lecture NASA boss on the projects of the space agency.

"To go to Mars, it seems that we must first land on the moon," said the president in the Oval Office, sitting at his desk and surrounded by Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the two astronauts of the Apollo mission 11 still alive (Neil Armstrong died in 2012).

The occasion is the fiftieth anniversary of the first step on the Moon this weekend.

Already, earlier this month, he tweeted: "With all the money we spend, NASA should NOT talk about going to the moon - we did it 50 years ago. focus on the bigger things we do, including Mars ". NASA had then justified that the plan was the Moon in 2024, before March the following decade.

"You really can not go directly to Mars, without going through the moon?", Asks Donald Trump to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who is standing nearby.

"The Moon is the test bed," says Jim Bridenstine, explaining that the lunar experience would better design the vehicles and equipment needed for a future Martian mission (several years against a dozen days for the Moon).

- "Will you listen to Buzz?" -

Apparently not convinced, Donald Trump turns to Buzz Aldrin, then Michael Collins: "What do you think?

- Mars directly, "answers Michael Collins, without hesitation.

"For me, it's more like Mars directly," continues Donald Trump. "After all, who knows more than these two?", He adds, triggering a collective laugh.

Jim Bridenstine has no choice but to repeat his explanations. "The problem of a direct mission to Mars is that there will be many problems that will not be solved ..."

After a few minutes of dialogue, Donald Trump interrupts the chief of NASA and delivers what he has on his heart: "I just want to say that Jim Bridenstine was a good parliamentarian who supported me most of the time, but not all the time . "

Appointing him to head the space agency in 2017, he says, was "not such an easy decision", but he does not regret it. He is fantastic".

The lesson, public, in front of an army of photographers and journalists, as well as Melania Trump and the families of the astronauts, is not finished.

Donald Trump asks his vice-president, standing behind him, to evaluate Jim Bridenstine. "I share your enthusiasm," says Mike Pence.

Then Donald Trump gives the floor to Buzz Aldrin.

"I was rather disappointed in the last 10 or 15 years," the astronaut says. He criticizes the ship developed by NASA for the return to the moon, called Orion, hardly able to evolve in lunar orbit according to him.

Immediately, Donald Trump to Jim Bridenstine: "What do you think, Jim?"

"We work," says the administrator, whose face is tense.

"I'd like you to listen to others, there are people who would like to do it differently, so you'll listen to Buzz and the others?

- Yes sir, "said Jim Bridenstine.

© 2019 AFP