As NASA and its contractors continue to press ahead with the Artemis program, a new report by the US Government Accountability Office – an independent, nonpartisan “congressional watchdog” – finds that the earliest humans might return to the Moon is 2027 – two years after NASA’s stated goal.
The Artemis program was launched in 2017 with the goal of returning astronauts to the Moon and possibly Mars but has been plagued by delays since its inception.
NASA launched the Artemis I rocket mission in 2022 and maintains its intention to send an Artemis II crew around the Moon in late 2024.
The results of the 2024 mission will affect any decision for a Moon landing mission in 2025, but some government officials say that NASA’s timeline is too ambitious and that the agency is likely on track to miss an important target.
“The complexity of human spaceflight suggests that it is unrealistic to expect the program to complete development more than a year faster than the average for NASA’s major projects, the majority of which are not human spaceflight projects,” said the authors of the GAO report. “GAO found that if development takes as long as average for NASA’s major projects, the Artemis III mission would likely occur as early as 2027.”
The report highlights a lot of work left by SpaceX and Axiom, which is the prime contractor for the Artemis program.
The Artemis II mission crew consisting of NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, pose for a photo on April 3, 2023. NASA/INSTARimages
The critical part of the mission is considered to be SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which is being developed in Texas.
The private space company owned by CEO Elon Musk has yet to complete a rocket test that proves the spacecraft is capable of reaching orbit and returning to Earth.
Despite the spectacular failure that resulted in the explosion, SpaceX and NASA leadership have praised the progress that has been made on the Starship rocket.
“Congratulations to the team that made progress in today’s flight test,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said after the failed test mission on November 18. “Spaceflight is a daring adventure that demands a can-do spirit and bold innovation. Today’s test is an opportunity to learn—then fly again. Together NASA and SpaceX will return humans to the Moon, Mars & beyond.”
Another important point, according to the GAO, is Axiom’s spacesuit design.
NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket sits at Launch Pad Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of its launch on June 15, 2022. AFP via Getty Images
The original suit design reportedly did not provide the amount of emergency life support required for the Artemis III mission.
This has caused engineers to go back to the drawing board to see if there is a way to squeeze in more oxygen, which could result in delays to the entire mission.
NASA leadership said in July that it was reviewing the Human Landing System schedule and would adjust the launch date if necessary.
If any contractor is unable to meet NASA’s requirements, it remains unclear whether the space agency is in a position to adopt an alternative plan to successfully complete the launch, landing and return.
NASA officials told the GAO that they used NASA guidance and best practices from human spaceflight efforts to the Artemis mission to achieve flight certification.
NASA’s mission plan for how Artemis III will launch from Earth and land on the moon. NASA
Sending humans into space is difficult
Artemis is not the first US space program to face difficulties and long delays.
The Apollo program was originally proposed in 1960 during the Eisenhower administration but did not land the first man on the Moon until 1969.
Due to frustration with delayed schedules and budget overruns, a comprehensive review was launched that criticized contractors and government management.
Initial plans for the Space Shuttle program, known as the Space Transportation System, date back to the 1960s but were not launched until 1981.
An investigation by the US Comptroller General said the years-long delay “resulted from the identification of new requirements, funding constraints and development difficulties with the system.”
Stu McClung, chief of staff, planning and program control, for NASA’s Orion program, walks through a training mockup while talking about the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on May 17, 2022. Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
If the Artemis III team can keep the 2025 launch date, it will actually buck the trend of long delays.
“We don’t launch until it’s right,” Nelson said after the Artemis I launch attempt was scrubbed. “You don’t want to light a candle until it’s ready to burn.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
