Moon
NASA seeks a rapid launch of a lunar lander
Although NASA’s new goal of landing humans on the moon in five years may sound aggressive, most of the hardware needed to carry out that mission is already, or soon will be, under development.
Foust Forward | Can racing back to the moon speed up a human mission to Mars?
Mars advocates have a conflicted relationship with the moon, which they consider something of a frenemy. The moon could serve as a proving ground to test technologies needed for Mars missions just three days from Earth.
Op-Ed | Time to go back to the moon, to truly stay
Fifty-eight years ago, almost to the day, President Kennedy declared what was, at the time, a bold national goal: To send a man to the moon within a decade, and “return him safely to Earth.” The greatest challenge of Apollo was not the former, but the latter.
House bill restores funding to Earth science and astrophysics missions
House appropriators criticized NASA for seeking to cancel “legacy” science and education programs in favor of new exploration efforts, moving money back to those missions while remaining silent on the administration’s accelerated lunar return.
The new frontier of national security and exploration is in the heavens
Fifty years after man’s first steps on the moon, the future of human exploration in the final frontier is at a critical turning point, ULA CEO Tory Bruno writes.
Op-ed | Accelerating the U.S. space program requires measured risks
America must continue to be a leader, willing to invest real and intellectual capital, to develop a balanced space exploration program.
Administration still working on revised budget proposal for 2024 lunar goal
NASA officials said May 8 the administration is still one to two weeks away from delivering a revised budget proposal to land humans on the moon by 2024, amid growing frustration from members of Congress.
Bridenstine plays down costs of 2024 moon landing
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told Senate appropriators May 1 that while the administration is not yet ready to release a revised budget that accommodates an accelerated human lunar landing program, the costs will not be as high as some rumors.
NASA outlines plan for 2024 lunar landing
While the administration continues to work on a revised budget request for carrying out the new goal of landing humans on the moon in 2024, the technical plan for doing so is starting to take shape.
Space Adventures reaches settlement with would-be lunar tourist
Space tourism company Space Adventures has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought nearly two years ago by a man who signed up for the company’s proposed mission around the moon but later sought a refund of his deposit.
Congressional panel looks at national security implications of China’s space ambitions
The United States should do more to protect its space systems and build capabilities as a form of deterrence, experts said.
Lunar base and Gateway part of sustainable long-term human exploration plan
As NASA works to develop a plan for an accelerated human return to the moon, a top White House official emphasized the need for long-term sustainability that will require both a Gateway and a lunar base.
Independent report concludes 2033 human Mars mission is not feasible
An independent report concluded that NASA has no chance of sending humans to Mars by 2033, with the earliest such a mission could be flown being the late 2030s.
Moon 2024: A new sense of urgency
With one sentence, Vice President Mike Pence was directing NASA to accelerate its lunar landing plans by four years, with few details about how it would be accomplished, or for how much.
NASA’s accelerated moon plans create uncertainty for international partners
As NASA develops its plans to accelerate a human return to the surface of the moon, international partners are left wondering what roles, if any, they will have in that effort.
Lockheed Martin offers architecture for 2024 human lunar landing
Lockheed Martin says it has developed an approach to achieving the goal of landing humans on the south pole of the moon by 2024, but warns that construction of essential hardware would have to start soon to meet that deadline.
