NASA’s Delay of Manned Moon Mission Prompts Questions in Congress
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress reaffirmed their commitment Wednesday for a manned U.S. return to the moon and on to Mars but wanted to know why the mission is being delayed.
Last week, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced a one-year delay for its Artemis project.
The new planned launch date for a manned mission to the moon is September 2026. By that time, the budget for the Artemis project is expected to exceed $93 billion.
Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., described the space race as crucial to American competitiveness in science and technology.
“Artemis is a cornerstone of that effort,” said Lucas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
He and other lawmakers said excessive delay and cost overruns by NASA would be unacceptable for the United States to maintain its lead in space.
“We are not the only country interested in sending astronauts to the moon,” he said.
China plans a manned moon landing by 2030, he said.
Artemis would return humans to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. Its ultimate goal is a permanent base on the moon, which then would become a launch facility for missions to Mars.
The first launch of the program originally was scheduled for 2016 but was set back to Nov. 16, 2022, because of technical difficulties. Called Artemis I, the unmanned “Space Launch System” orbited the moon gathering data, then returned to Earth.
NASA’s examination afterward determined the heat shield used to protect the spacecraft while reentering the Earth’s atmosphere had eroded more heavily than anticipated. No onboard equipment was damaged but the intense heat posed a serious danger to the crews that would use the same Space Launch System for future flights, according to NASA.
A NASA official who testified to the Science, Space and Technology Committee Wednesday said the agency was learning from the Artemis program as it moves forward with new technology.
As a result, it was compelled to modify its launch schedules, such as for the Artemis II launch scheduled for September 2025. It will carry a crew around the moon but will not land on it.
“Artemis II adds several new systems to support astronauts inside [the spacecraft],” said Catherine Koerner, a NASA associate administrator. “In addition, we are continuing to study the Orion heat shield from Artemis 1, to ensure the safety of our crew on future missions.”
She encouraged Congress to consider the long-term benefits of the Artemis program.
“We will align with partners toward a future of expanded economic opportunity and scientific discovery, while investing in the next generation of STEM leaders as we support the limitless possibilities of space exploration,” Koerner said. STEM refers to science, technology, engineering and math.
Other expert witnesses did not dispute the value of NASA’s mission of space exploration but did question management of its finances.
George Scott, NASA’s acting inspector general, said historically the space agency has had difficulty anticipating and explaining its costs to Congress.
“Artemis is no exception,” he said.
Some of its costs for the program are “unsustainable,” Scott said.
William Russell, the Government Accountability Office’s director of contracting, said NASA is requesting $6.8 billion for Artemis this fiscal year but needs to improve how it manages the “wide range of contractors” who will receive some of the money.
Some of the contractors are in California, where Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said NASA projects fund about 11,600 jobs.
“I support Artemis but I want it to be successful, especially with China at our heels,” Lofgren said.
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