NASA must 'consider alternatives' to put Artemis astronauts on the moon, experts tell US Congress

[Admin]

Space policy experts told U.S. Congress that NASA must consider alternatives to its current plan to return astronauts to the moon with the Artemis program.

NASA must 'consider alternatives' to put Artemis astronauts on the moon, experts tell US Congress : Read more

 

[Jasper]

Best thing would be to axe SLS and everyone involved in the decision making leading to it.

 

[George²]

Best thing would be to axe SLS and everyone involved in the decision making leading to it.

SLS work properly. Only price per launch is wow.

 

[ChrisA]

Best thing would be to axe SLS and everyone involved in the decision making leading to it.

SLS and Orion have already flown a human-rated capsule around the moon and landed back on Earth, It did this on its very first test mission. It works very well and has now been tested. The only other heavy lift rocket can not yet launch a payload to Earth orbit and has never made a successful landing on Earth.

SLS is pretty much done and is waiting for the other projects.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

SLS, the "Space Launch System" is not a "lunar landing system", unfortunately.

So, without the success of the other launch systems like Spacex's "StarShip" and/or Blue Origin's "New Glenn", the Artemis Program is limited to circling the Moon and returning to Earth.

But, if those other launch systems are operational, then they would be cheaper to get the astronauts to lunar orbit in the first place, so why have SLS?

That is what has n ever made sense to me from the beginning of the Artemis planning process.

Artemis has been damaged by poor planning and inconsistent financial support, especially the go-stop-go-stop politics as administrations have changed over the last 2 decades.

So, I basically agree that better planning, with consideration of alternatives, is long overdue.

But, the current chaos in the Federal planning processes does not bode well for the development of an improved plan with improved consistency into the future.

 

[Jasper]

SLS and Orion have already flown a human-rated capsule around the moon and landed back on Earth, It did this on its very first test mission. It works very well and has now been tested. The only other heavy lift rocket can not yet launch a payload to Earth orbit and has never made a successful landing on Earth.

SLS is pretty much done and is waiting for the other projects.

SLS is ‘done’, I agree.
It is 1960/70 technology bolted on 1980 engines.
By now a space shuttle followup like Skylon/Sabre would be the way to go.