The US space agency NASA has postponed its goal set by former US President Donald Trump to return American astronauts to the moon by 2024 by at least a year. “The Trump administration’s goal, to land people in 2024, was not based on technical feasibility,” NASA President Bill Nelson, appointed by current US President Joe Biden, said on November 9, 2021. Instead, it should become a landing. One in 2025, which has yet to be determined.
No money for Artemis
With the so-called Artemis mission, American astronauts were supposed to land on the Moon for the first time in nearly 50 years by 2024, including the first woman. This was announced by the Trump administration in 2019. With the mission already significantly over budgeted in terms of money and time, observers have long questioned adherence to that timeline.
It takes time for Musk and Bezos to win
Orion Space Patrol on the go
The mission is to bring four astronauts into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft, where two of them will transfer to the SpaceX lander for the final approach to the moon. The United States was so far the only country to have brought twelve astronauts to Earth’s moon through the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972. (with material from dpa)
