When NASA returns to the Moon after 47 years since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission and last lunar landing, the space agency aims to establish a permanent residence on the Moon. The incredible mission statement was made by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at the 35th Space Symposium on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. The NASA chief, directed by US President Donald Trump, stressed NASA’s commitment to putting astronauts back on the Moon. And the hasty return will no only land “the next man” on the Moon’s surface but will also send the “first woman” to the lunar orb.
Mr Bridenstine, a former US Navy pilot, said: “We’ve been given an ambitious and exciting goal.
“History has proven when we’re given a task by the President, along with the resources and the tools, we can deliver.
“We are committed to making this happen. We have the people to achieve it.
“Now we just need bipartisan support and the resources to get this done.”
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NASA’s return to the Moon hinges on the ambitious development of the Space Launch System (SLS).
Once completed, the SLS will be the most powerful rocket in the world, capable of kickstarting manned exploration of the solar system.
The rocket will have the capacity to send up to four astronauts into space at once, inside of NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
And alongside manned missions, the SLS will send robotic landers and other space probes to places like Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.
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Mr Bridenstine said: “First we are focused on speed to land the next man and first woman on the Moon by 2024.
“Second, we will establish sustainable missions by 2028.
“To do that, we need our powerful Space Launch System to put the mass of reusable systems into deep space.”
NASA’s return to the Moon will come in two phases, starting with the SLS.
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The second stage involves building the so-called Lunar Gateway – an orbital and reusable command module around the Moon.
The Gateway will serve as an outpost for refuelling and power as well as host habitation services for astronauts.
William Gerstenmaier of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate argued the Gateway will be a key element of future lunar exploration missions.
He said: “The Gateway can be positioned in a variety of orbits around the Moon, allows for access to entire lunar surface, and supports development of a reusable human lander system.
“Resiliency and reusability are key for sustainable human lunar exploration, and that’s what the Gateway gives us.
“Furthermore, there’s broad interest from the international community for supporting as well.”
Through this reinvigorated drive towards the Moon, NASA hopes to develop new technologies for space exploration.
Mr Bridenstine said: “Using new landers, robots and eventually humans, we will conduct science and technology demonstrations across the entire lunar surface of the Moon to learn more about resources on the Moon and how we can use them for future exploration.
“We will move forward to the Moon, this time to stay. And then we’ll take what we learn on the Moon, and go to Mars.”