The United States appears to be once again engaged in a fierce space competition, this time with China.
Delays to NASA’s Artemis moon mission had some members of Congress this week worried that the U.S. goal of defeating an Asian adversary and returning to the moon would be threatened.
NASA had hoped to send a group of astronauts on a trip around the moon as early as November as part of its goal to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
But last week, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced that Artemis II, NASA’s first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years, has been postponed until at least September 2025. Artemis III is the mission to land Americans on the moon, which currently won’t happen until 2026.
The setback appears to have upset some elected leaders concerned about China’s own moon ambitions. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, said the country’s growing space program has a goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. He stated that he is actively looking for international partners for a lunar mission. at Wednesday’s hearing.
“I remind my colleagues that our country is not alone in its interest in sending a man to the moon,” Lucas said in his opening remarks. “The first country to land could set a precedent for whether future lunar activities will be conducted with openness and transparency or in a more restricted manner.”
international space stationA bold plan to land a NASA outpost in the ocean
Why did NASA delay the Artemis mission?
A defective battery and “challenges” with the ventilation and temperature control systems on the Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis astronauts to the moon were among the issues that caused NASA to delay Artemis II by at least a year.
For Artemis I, NASA tested the Orion spacecraft needed for deep space exploration in 2022 for the first time during an unmanned flight to see how the heat shield would perform under extreme atmospheric reentry conditions. Because the heat shield burned more than expected, NASA has begun an investigation into the issue, with a conclusion expected this spring.
“We are returning to the moon like never before, and the safety of our astronauts is a top priority for NASA as we prepare for future Artemis missions,” Nelson said in a statement announcing the postponement.
If the issue is resolved, the Artemis II crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reed Wiseman, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will earn 600,000 lunar round trips. I’m planning on going on a mile trip. And NASA Space will board her capsule for her 10-day trip to launch her systems and test the capabilities of her rocket and the manned Orion spacecraft, helping pave the way for Artemis III. Masu.
The mission, which NASA promises will bring the first woman and first person of color to walk on the moon, has faced setbacks of its own.
Once NASA returns to orbit in the next few years, the crew is scheduled to land in the Moon’s south pole region, where NASA plans to establish a permanent human presence on and around the Moon’s surface in advance of future exploration of Mars. We plan to lay the foundation. .
But delays aren’t the only problem plaguing NASA. The agency’s acting inspector general, George Scott, said in testimony released Wednesday that the total cost of the program could reach $93 billion by 2025.
“The most important thing is to resolve technical issues that could threaten the safety of astronauts,” Scott told lawmakers. “We need to achieve this while also addressing long-standing concerns such as lack of transparency in timelines and funding.” needs. “
But Nelson said at a news conference last week that he remains confident in NASA’s position to land astronauts on the moon before China.
“I think China has very aggressive plans,” Nelson said. “But actually, I don’t think they will.”
Artemis maintains bipartisan support despite concerns
However, not everyone shares such optimism.
Mike Griffin, a former NASA administrator who also served at the Pentagon, said Wednesday that the space agency’s program is “overly complex, unrealistically priced, compromises crew safety, and poses an extremely high risk of mission completion.” “It is highly unlikely that the project will be completed in a short period of time.” In a timely manner. ”
Meanwhile, China is a growing space power and is one of only four countries in history to successfully land a lunar lander, along with the United States, Russia/Soviet Union, and now India. NASA is currently embroiled in a race with China to return humans to the moon.
“Our self-proclaimed adversary, the Chinese Communist Party, along with our Russian partners, fully understand the role that their presence on the space frontier plays in the world of global power politics,” Griffin said. “It is unacceptable for the United States and its partners not to go to the moon when other countries are going there.”
Despite his concerns, the Artemis program, established under the Trump administration, continues to have bipartisan support in Congress.
“I support Artemis,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said during Wednesday’s hearing. “But I want it to be successful, especially with China behind us.”
Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Please contact elagatta@gannett.com.
