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NASA Releases Updated Artemis Program Lunar Plans

The first female astronaut on the Moon works on the lunar surface during an early Artemis mission. Credit: NASA

The National Space Society Praises Plan for Flexibility and “Can Do” Spirit

This kind of open-ended and evolvable planning will provide U.S. leadership toward a sustainable human presence on the Moon and ultimately beyond.”
— Dale Skran, Chair of the NSS Executive Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C., US, April 6, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Space Society (NSS) commends NASA for its updated Artemis mission plan for returning humans to the Moon. The new roadmap, called “NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development,” was released on April 2. This bold vision combines the best of government, commercial and international capabilities to accomplish long-term activities on the Moon efficiently and affordably while establishing a foothold for journeys onward to Mars and beyond. It also provides an opportunity to utilize resources found on the Moon to further affordable and sustainable development of space.

The plan leverages commercial space operators via programs such as NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to bring scientific packages and cargo to the lunar surface as well as to the Lunar Gateway. The Gateway, a lunar orbiting outpost which was reaffirmed in the updated plan, will assist NASA in its goal to establish a permanent station at the lunar south pole called Artemis Base Camp.

Alfred Anzaldúa, the Executive Vice President for the NSS, said, “SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy will now deliver equipment and supplies to Gateway via its expanded cargo carrier, Dragon XL, which will remain docked to expand the Gateway’s capacity. The Dragon XL also adds flexibility at low Earth orbit and the International Space Station in various roles.”

Dale Skran, the Chair of the NSS’s Executive Committee, added, “NASA’s updated plan for the Artemis Base Camp includes the development of lunar resources, new lunar power systems, excavation and construction techniques, and the mitigation of lunar dust and extreme environments. This kind of open-ended and evolvable planning will provide U.S. leadership toward a sustainable human presence on the Moon and ultimately beyond.”

Notably, the extraction and refining of water from ice on the Moon allows for the manufacture of breathable air, drinkable water, and rocket fuel. Since it currently costs a minimum of about $1000 per pound launched to low Earth orbit, in the long term this capability will allow for much more affordable and sustained development of space. The same holds true for metals extracted from lunar soil, which can be made into a variety of useful items.

“NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development” can be found here.

The National Space Society was founded in 1987 via a merger of the National Space Institute, founded by NASA’s Wernher von Braun, and the L5 Society, based on the work of space settlement pioneer Gerard K. O’Neill. It is the world’s largest pro-human-spaceflight organization.

To learn more about the NSS and its mission to establish humanity as a spacefaring species, visit us on the web at space.nss.org.

Alfred Anzaldua
National Space Society
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