Science•14 Jan 24 3.30pm Author: Floor Hoogstad
NASA will not send astronauts to the Moon again until 2026. Technical problems and safety concerns are causing delays in the Artemis 2 mission and the Artemis 3 mission. “The lunar program is not in danger, but we need to be a little more patient until NASA is sure everything is safe,” says space expert Rob van den Berg.
“The lunar program is not in danger, but we need to be a little more patient until NASA is sure everything is safe.”
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The delay is due to delivery issues with spacesuit parts and problems with the Peregrine lunar lander. This lunar lander was previously successfully tested, but now shows flaws. According to Van den Berg this is a setback.
Technical and safety problems are causing the postponement of the Artemis 2 mission and the Artemis 3 mission. (ANP/AFP)
NASA recently stopped the production of all materials itself; for the Peregrine lunar lander, the space organization is working with the start-up Astrobotics. Van den Berg compares spaceships to transport services: “You shouldn’t want to develop everything yourself: it’s all too expensive and takes too long.”
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But according to Van den Berg the postponement does not mean cancellation, trips to the moon will continue anyway. Van den Berg even claims that this is the beginning of long-term lunar programs that will bring a permanent human presence on the Moon. “The lunar program is not in danger, but we need to be a little more patient until NASA is sure everything is safe.”
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It remains to be seen whether the first person to walk on the Moon in fifty years will be American. According to Van den Berg, experts take into account that, if there were further delays, that foot could be Chinese.
2024-01-14 14:30:07
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