Posted on 06/01/2019 6:58:13 PM PDT by ETL
For the first time since the 1970s, the United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon in 2020 and 2021, in anticipation of a crewed lunar mission in 2024, NASA said Friday.
The US space agency has chosen American firms Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond to send instruments and other scientific equipment to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
The administration of President Donald Trump has accelerated the timetable for putting humans back on the Moon with 2024 the new target date—moved up by four years.
Each company has developed lunar landers of different sizes and shapes: one is tall, and the other two are more compact.
The landers will deliver up to 23 small payloads of equipment provided by NASA.
That should include materiel that will gather information to help astronauts later on to land, navigate and protect themselves from radiation.
Orbit Beyond will land in Mare Imbrium, a lava plain in a lunar crater, by September 2020, after being launched by one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets.
Intuitive Machines will try to land by July 2021 in Oceanous Procellarum, a dark spot on the Moon visible from Earth.
SpaceX will also facilitate that launch.
Astrobotic, which is based in Pittsburgh, will target Lacus Mortis, a large crater on the near side of the Moon, by July 2021.
It has yet to choose a delivery rocket.
NASA awarded the companies $77-97 million each for development of their landers.
"Next year, our initial science and technology research will be on the lunar surface, which will help support sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon in five years," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.
"Investing in these commercial landing services also is another strong step to build a commercial space economy beyond low-Earth orbit."
The United States last sent a crewed mission to the Moon in 1972, the year of the final Apollo mission.
NASA regularly sent lunar probes into orbit, but it only has two active missions today: the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ARTEMIS probes.
China has meanwhile landed twice on the Moon in recent years: in 2013, and in January on the far side.
The Chang'e 4 probe and its motorized robot Yutu-2 are the only probes active on the surface right now.
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Er… Ming might have something to say about that..
Ming?
What we need on the Moon is a “Mountain Man” with a shovel, plastic, and aluminum foil and some seeds.
The goal of the first colony should be a working still. Ethanol will be the basis of extra-terrestial success.
Samre things that colonized America... and no Indians!
NASA is full of deep state commies. My bet is they are sending voting machines and they will find votes on them if needed in the next election.
Don’t store excessive amounts of nuclear waste either,
Word.
Judt watched a blue ray of Apollo 11. First I cannot believe CNN producedvthis doc. Second. We used to bd a nation and People of vision and courage, bold and audacious. 50 years ago I watched Apollo unfold. If you had told me then that we would leave the Moon in 1973 and not return in the lifetimes of most who watched Apollo 11 in real time, I would have said you were nuts. In 50 years I thought we would have been on our way to the stars.
Pres. Trump seems to possess the vision to lead us back. Maybe he can select a new meme and slogan for his campaign. From MAGA to “America! We are the Right Stuff!!”
But what’s an “excessive” amount of nuclear waste?
You know it’s a wasteland to start with.
Yeah, nuclear power will be needed for most of the Moon.
Not the parts we’ll settle first though.
One of my kids works at NASA as an engineer. He interviewed to work on the Lunar Recon Orbiter and another mission at the same time. The other mission chose him first, otherwise he’d probably be part of this project.
“But what’s an “excessive” amount of nuclear waste?
You know it’s a wasteland to start with.”
The poster was referencing the old TV Series “Space 1999”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space:_1999
It was actually a pretty fumy statement
That’s great! You have a son to be proud of. :)
Imagine where we might be now if we’d kept the Lunar missions going?
Freighter carrying tons of HE3 back to power clean, cheap fusion tecnology.
Don’r know why I missed out on “Space 1999”. Love sci fi.
Probably at War with the ET’s that watched Apollo 11 land and further Apollo Crews were sent back with the message to STAY AWAY or else.
So We have.
Indeed, I too remember the “Space Race”. I also remember when Obama gutted NASA and redirected it for Muslim “outreach” and “education”. I do hope that something comes to fruit of all this, but I am not holding my breath. Congress, and American politics, has a way of letting us down.
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