NASA’s ambitious goal of returning humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years has been dubbed Artemis. Artemis will see the US space agency send a series of unmanned probes to the Moon between 2020 and 2024. By 2024, NASA wants to land the first manned crews that will establish a permanent base of residence on the Moon. Being able to settle the lunar orb will act as stepping stone to further bodies like Mars.
But former NASA manager Kenneth Bowersox is not convinced by the space agency’s rapid timeline of advance.
Speaking before a congressional subcommittee on Wednesday, September 18, Mr Bowersox expressed his doubts.
He said: “I wouldn’t bet my oldest child’s upcoming birthday present or anything like that.”
Mr Bowersox is a US Navy officer who is a veteran of five space shuttle launches and served as commander on the International Space Station.
Mr Bowersox is now an acting associate administrator for NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.
I wouldn’t bet my oldest child’s upcoming birthday present or anything like that
Kenneth Bowersox, NASA
Speaking on Wednesday, the NASA manager said it was good to see the space agency pursue “aggressive goals”.
But he also stressed the need for appropriate funding to make the 2024 goal a reality.
Mr Bowersox was questioned by Florid Representative Bill Posey about the 2024 timeline.
He said: “What’s important is that we launch when we’re ready, that we have a successful mission when it launches, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that just arbitrarily we’re going to make it.
“There’s a lot of risk in making the date but we want to try to do it.”
He added: “We’re working towards it as hard as we can.”
Earlier this year in March, President Donald Trump urged the space agency to accelerate its Moon landing efforts.
Since the last Apollo mission in 1972, Apollo 17, no human has set foot on the surface of the Moon.
NASA wants to change this by sending the next man and the first woman to Earth’s lunar satellite.
To achieve this goal, the space agency is developing a new lunar launch vehicle – the SLS or Space Launch System rocket.
The plan also involves developing a refuelling space station in lunar orbit, dubbed the Gateway.
NASA said: “NASA’s powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), will send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft a quarter-million miles from Earth to lunar orbit.
“Astronauts will dock Orion at the Gateway where they will live and work around the Moon.
“The crew will take expeditions from the Gateway to the surface of the Moon in a new human landing system before returning to the orbital outpost.
“Crew will ultimately return to Earth aboard Orion.”
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