It Sounds Like NASA's Moon Rocket Might Be Getting Canceled

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-11-14 04:13:56 | Updated at 2024-11-23 08:22:30 1 week ago

It Sounds Like NASA's Moon Rocket Might Be Getting Canceled
futurism.com ^ | Nov 13, 3:06 PM EST by | Victor Tangermann

Posted on 11/13/2024 7:56:30 PM PST by BenLurkin

NASA's plagued Space Launch System rocket, which is being developed to deliver the first astronauts to the Moon in over half a century, is on thin ice.

According to Ars Technica senior space reporter Eric Berger's insider sources, there's an "at least 50-50" chance that the rocket "will be canceled."

"Not Block 1B. Not Block 2," he added, referring to the variant that was used during NASA's uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 and a more powerful design with a much higher translunar injection payload capacity, respectively. "All of it."

To be clear, as Berger himself points out, we're still far "from anything being settled." Nonetheless, the reporter's sources have historically been highly reliable, suggesting the space agency may indeed be getting cold feet about continuing to pour billions of dollars into the non-reusable rocket.

The SLS has already seen its fair share of budget overruns and many years of delays. In a 2022 interview, former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver told Futurism that the project is simply "not sustainable."

The rocket platform has become a political football, going well past $6 billion over budget and over half a decade behind schedule.

"I will be direct," former NASA administrator Michael Griffin told the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee during a January hearing on the space agency's Artemis program,"In my judgment, the Artemis Program is excessively complex, unrealistically priced, compromises crew safety, poses very high mission risk of completion, and is highly unlikely to be completed in a timely manner even if successful."

So far, the rocket has been launched only once, as part of NASA's inaugural Artemis mission in 2022, but damage sustained by the agency's Orion spacecraft has given officials pause about its ability to safely send astronauts to the Moon in the coming years.

(Excerpt) Read more at futurism.com ...

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1 posted on 11/13/2024 7:56:30 PM PST by BenLurkin

To: BenLurkin

Maybe in his copious free time Elon could have a gander at NASA......

2 posted on 11/13/2024 8:01:54 PM PST by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite its unfashionability)

To: BenLurkin

Fire the idiot bill nelson first thing. Put EM in charge of NASA. We’ll be on the moon in two years and Mars in four.

3 posted on 11/13/2024 8:02:58 PM PST by ealgeone

To: All

Obama absolutely wrecked NASA

4 posted on 11/13/2024 8:03:38 PM PST by mmichaels1970 ( )

To: BenLurkin

NASA will be in better hands now that the adults are back on charge.

5 posted on 11/13/2024 8:04:57 PM PST by montag813

To: ealgeone

musk is going to launch unmanned starship(s) to mars in 26 months and manned starship(s) 26 months after that. Its an orbit thing. its now or 26 months from now and he is not ready now.Orbital mechanics doesnt leave much room for error.

6 posted on 11/13/2024 8:07:04 PM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)

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