NASA - PROJECT $20 billion TO DEVELOP A BASE ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON - Filenews 24/3
NASA is undergoing a major overhaul of its strategy for the exploration of the Moon, as it abandons plans to develop a space station in lunar orbit and turns to creating a permanent base on the surface of the Earth's natural satellite within the next seven years, in a $20 billion project. The new direction of the program was announced by the head of the US space agency Jared Isaacman, at the opening of an event at NASA headquarters in Washington.
Isaacman, who took office in December, unveiled a series of changes to the Artemis program, which is the main U.S. plan to return to the Moon and develop a permanent presence in space. As he said, the agency has decided to "freeze" the Lunar Gateway station project in its current form and focus on infrastructure that will allow continuous operational activity on the surface of the Moon.
The Lunar Gateway station, already built to a significant extent by companies such as Northrop Grumman and Vantor, formerly Maxar, was intended to function as a space station orbiting the Moon. In the original plan, it would be a research platform and an intermediate transfer point, where astronauts would board lunar craft for the final descent to the surface.
Converting already developed systems into infrastructure that will support a base on the Moon is considered a technically complex process. Jared Isakman noted that despite the challenges related to equipment and timing, it is possible to leverage existing technologies and commitments from international partners to achieve the program's new goals.
The changes affect billion-dollar contracts under Artemis, leading companies participating in the program to adapt their plans to conditions of increased time pressure.
The restructuring of NASA's strategy comes at a time of intensifying competition with China, which is moving forward with its own program for a manned mission to the Moon by 2030. The acceleration of American plans is seen as critical to maintaining technological and geopolitical leadership in the new field of space exploration.
