The US space agency (NASA) has formally formalized a $ 28 billion ($ 22 billion) plan to return to the moon by 2024.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA will send a man and a woman to the lunar surface for the first time with a human landing since 1972.

But the agency’s timeline is consistent with Congress giving away $ 3.2 billion to build the landing system.

The astronauts will travel in an Apollo-like capsule called Orion, which will be launched on a powerful rocket called SLS.

Speaking on Monday afternoon (US time), NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein said: “The Artemis program represents $ 28 billion in costs over the next four years. Includes SLS funding, Orion funding, human landing system, and of course spacesuits – all part of the Artemis program. “

He explained: “Our budget request before the House and Senate includes $ 3.2 billion for the human landing system by 2021. It is very important that we get $ 3.2 billion.”

Artemis: To the moon and beyond

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a $ 600 million bill for Chandra Lander. But NASA needs more funding to fully develop the vehicle.

Bridenstein added: “I want to make it clear that we are very grateful to the House of Representatives, which, in a bipartisan manner, have determined that it is important to fund a human landing system – which represents $ 600 million. That’s right we are asking for $ 3.2 billion.

In July 2019, Mr. Bridenstein told CNN In 2024, the first female astronaut to travel to the moon will be “a proven person, a man who flew, someone who was already on the International Space Station”. He said it would already be part of the astronaut crew.

At the time of this interview, there were 12 active female astronauts. She was joined by five other female NASA astronauts who graduated from training earlier this year. But it is not clear whether they will be able to meet the flying standards in time for the first landing mission in 2024.

When asked about the timeline for selecting crew members for Artemis, the NASA chief said he expects a team to be selected at least two years before the first mission.

However, he said: “I think it’s important to start recognizing the Artemis team … I think it’s primarily a source of inspiration.”

White H.S. sends astronauts back to the moon American leadership wants to renew in space. There are also plans to make valuable water-ice deposits from the South Pole. These can be used to build rocket fuel on the moon – at a lower cost than being transported from Earth – and serve as the basis of the lunar economy.

Vice President Mike Pence also raised concerns about China’s space travel. In January 2019, East Asian Superpower became the first country Gently land the robot rover on the far side of the moon. The country is now preparing for its first mission to deliver lunar soil samples to labs on Earth.

It is developing the next generation spacecraft For Chinese astronauts who can fly to deep space destinations like the moon. While China is not on time to get there by 2024, significant progress can be made towards such a goal in this decade.

New NASA document In the fall of 2021, the first phase of the US project, which will include an uncovered test flight around the moon called Artemis-1, is planned.

Kathy Luders, NASA’s chief space officer, said the Artemis-1 would take about a month to test all critical systems.

It said the performance aircraft would reduce the risk of the Artemis-2, which would repeat its orbit around the moon with astronauts.

Added a new experiment to this mission – a proximity performance. After the Orion SLS is detached from the upper stage of the rocket – known as the Intermediate Cryogenic Propulsion Stage – the astronauts will manually pilot the spacecraft.

It will evaluate the performance of the spacecraft’s hardware and software as well as Orion’s handling advantages.

Artemis-3 will be the first mission to send astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 48 years ago.

NASA paid $ 967 million ($ 763 million) to several companies They will run on designs for the landing vehicle.

Towards the end of the decade, NASA calls for the establishment of a base for humans, the Artemis Base Camp, which will include the basic facilities needed for long-term exploration of the Moon.

Compared to Artemis, the Apollo program in the 1960s and ’70s cost up to $ 250 billion in US dollars to adjust inflation.

However, the money already spent on developing the b 28bn Orion spacecraft and space launch system (SLS) rocket for this new plan is not included.

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