Budget and time constraints threaten NASA's plan to return to the moon

Perhaps an American astronaut will say the following sentence at the end of 2024, "This is a small step for women, but it is a giant leap for humanity," referring to the phrases that Neil Armstrong made when he set foot on the surface of the moon on the night between July 20 and 21, 1969.

In a report published by the French newspaper "Le Monde", journalist Pierre Barthelemy said that the first step for the first woman on the moon should be a symbol of strength for the "Artemis Plan" of the US space agency (NASA), and an affirmation of American primacy in space. .

And it seems that the return to the moon program has become inevitable for NASA, which explained its features in a document consisting of more than 70 pages and published on September 21.

With his usual enthusiasm and optimism, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine summarized in the introduction to the main goals of this plan, "As part of the Artemis program, mankind will discover areas of the moon that have not been visited before, and unite opinions about the unknown and what was previously impossible."

"We will return robots to the moon starting next year, send astronauts to its surface within 4 years, and establish a long-term presence there by the end of the decade," he added.

The Orion capsule is supposed to carry a crew of 4 astronauts and orbit them around the moon (NASA)

Unmanned test flight

The plan focuses on the next four years, with the expeditions of Artemis I, II and III at its core, along with two important components;

The first is the space takeoff system that will replace the Saturn-5 Saurn- that distinguished the Apollo program.

The writer pointed out that efforts to develop the Artemis program were delayed despite the start of work on it since 2011, and the US budget has cost about $ 18 billion, and it is expected that the cost of each takeoff will reach about two billion dollars.

The second component is the Orion capsule, which is supposed to carry a crew of 4 astronauts and orbit them around the moon.

The first space flight with the Orion Space Launch System is expected on November 21, 2021, within the framework of the first Artemis mission, and it will be an unmanned flight with a duration of between 4 and 6 weeks.

Instead of humans, the Orion capsule will be loaded with equipment to record and monitor the capsule's behavior in Earth's orbit, then during the round-trip flight to the moon, and during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

As for the second mission, it is supposed to be carried out during the second half of 2023 and will take about 10 days.

After testing Orion's motion in Earth's orbit, the crew members will distance themselves from the planet's gravity to follow what experts call the free return route.

After drawing a ring around the moon, Orion will naturally return toward Earth.

In the last quarter of 2024, the third Artemis mission, which includes two astronauts, is expected to take off.

Once orbiting the moon, they will take their places in a landing craft and land on its surface.

Very tight schedule

The writer quoted the French astrophysicist Francis Rocard of the Center National D'etudes Spatiales (CNES), as saying that the benefit lies in the possibility of soil analysis, because in this region (of the moon), it is hoped to find water ice that can be exploited The oxygen it contains later. "

Astronauts are expected to complete between two and four sorties during their week on the moon, before returning to their comrades in orbit and then returning to Earth.

In theory everything looks fine, Rocard adds, "but many things are still unknown."

At first, the schedule is very tight and the pioneers are in a hurry, especially after Donald Trump confirmed that the mission should be completed before the end of 2024, so we have to go full speed.

This involves bearing a certain number of risks that require many years of practical know-how, especially in the qualification phase and ground tests. The other unknown fact is that the landing craft is the modern version of the Apollo "moon lander".

As part of the Artemis program, humanity will discover areas of the moon that have never been visited by NASA.

Budget controversy

In contrast, the budget allocated to such a task is the third and most important issue of the unknown.

In its documents, NASA estimates the total cost of the Artemis program, which will extend through 2025, at $ 28 billion, including $ 16 billion for the landing system alone.

This means a significant increase in the budget allocated to the space agency, which was rejected by the majority Democratic House of Representatives last July.

However, the budget negotiations are still ongoing.

For his part, Rocard said, "Let's wait and see the results of the November elections and what the new president will decide, and do not forget that Barack Obama had canceled the return to the moon program during his custody."