For 18 months, NASA has focused Astronauts landing in 2024 Agency officials say the moon is close to the South Pole, but if the mission becomes too difficult to run, the last part of this direction may need to take a back seat.
This Artemis program The issue of the landing site came up this week with agency leaders at two separate events, beginning with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein. Comments to open a digital meeting Conducted on Monday (Sept. 14) by a NASA advisory group called the Lunar Research Analysis Group.
“For the first mission, Artemis 3“Our goal is to reach the South Pole,” Brydenstein said. But… I wouldn’t be surprised if, for example, if we determined that the South Pole was out of reach of Artemis 3, not to say that I am who I am, “Apollo could win interest in the sites.
Related: Look at the moon like Apollo astronauts with these epic fantastic photos
NASA’s current pressure on the moon began in March 2019, when Vice President Mike Pence instructed the agency to accelerate the timeline for humans to return to the moon by targeting a 2024 landing at the South Pole. It is interesting to explorers in the field because it hides water ice in darker craters where sunlight can never quite reach.
Ice can be turned into drinking water, breathable air and rocket fuel – at least, in principle; Scientists are not yet sure how much ice there is and how easy it will be to process. But The resource for hope has made the moon the south pole A priority place. It is a particularly hyped target in terms of the development of a sustainable presence on the moon, which, more precisely, is a presence that is only sustained by the moon.
But now, it looks like NASA is preparing for the possibility that it will need a back-up plan. It is more difficult to reach the poles of the moon than in the equatorial regions, so it may turn out that if the agency hits the road blocks, it could change the easy landing site to the 2024 deadline.
And if the agency focuses on the lunar equatorial region, a few sites will immediately pop out as interesting: Apollo landing sites, Where astronauts discovered between 1969 and 1972.
“The question is, well, if you’re going to the tropics again, how can you learn the most? And you could argue that by going where we’ve put the gear, you’ll learn a lot. Said Bridenstein. “There could be scientific discoveries.”
And revisiting the Apollo landing site has far more scientific implications, Brydenstana said. “The motivation to just return to the original Apollo site would also be very surprising,” he said. “And establish standards of conduct – we want to make sure those sites are safe forever, so I think there’s a chance.”
On Wednesday (Sept. 16), Kathy Ludders, associate administrator at the Directorate of Human Exploration and Direct Operations, insisted that the South Pole landing site would no longer be set in stone. According to spacepolicy line naline.com Reporting to the Washington Washington Space Business Roundtable Event.
“We’re really looking at a bunch of different options for making a decision,” said Spaspolislinelineline.com. “We’re looking at different ways for more communities to participate in that decision. We know that… there’s a big interest wherever there’s an initial mission and so we’re really trying to find a way to get more involved … so get involved.” , More to come. “
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