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SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
NASA Holds Teleconference on Artemis Exploration Program Overview
22 September 2020
EIRNS —Today NASA Administrator James Bridenstine and three other NASA associate administrators held a teleconference to discuss the agency’s latest Artemis program exploration plans, part of the nation’s Moon-Mars mission. On the NASA.gov site the agency posted a 74-page overview, “Artemis Plan, NASA’s Lunar Exploration Program Overview.” The introduction to the Artemis plan starts, “America has entered a new era of exploration. NASA’s Artemis program will lead humanity forward to the Moon and prepare us for the next giant leap, the exploration of Mars. It has been almost 50 years since astronauts last walked on the lunar surface during the Apollo program, and since then the robotic exploration of deep space has seen decades of technological advancement and scientific discoveries. For the last 20 years, humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station 250 miles above Earth, preparing for the day we move farther into the Solar System.” Administrator Bridenstine opened his remarks by encouraging everyone to read the newly released Artemis plan. He described the plan as “a solid outline of what we will accomplish in the coming years as a part of Artemis. NASA prepared an outline to ensure that we are meeting the President’s ambitious goal to return American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972. The human landing systems are funded for the first time since 1972.” A lot of things are happening toward 2024 Moon landing, he said, including modernization of the launch pad at the Kennedy space center. Space Launch System is underway, a green run is underway. There will be a hot fire in a matter of weeks, and commercial human landing systems are funded and underway. The Orion spacecraft is complete along with its European surface module. The gateway is under development and we have the next generation space suit. Therefore, said Bridenstine, “All the elements that we need for a successful 2024 Moon landing are underway and we are moving rapidly to achieve that goal. The Artemis plan released today is going to focus on phase one, which is going to focus on the landing of the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 as well as bringing them home safely.” He further expressed that NASA’s long-term lunar goal is about gaining sustainable presence on the Moon by the end of the decade, and that to achieve these goals is going to “require an all of NASA approach.” A wide array of science experience and payloads to be launched with Artemis were discussed. See also: |
