Can NASA Really Land Astronauts on the Moon by 2028?
The New York Times • • science
Key Points:
- NASA aims to achieve a crewed moon landing by 2028, contingent on the success of the Artemis III mission scheduled for mid-2027.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed strong confidence in meeting the 2028 lunar return goal and promised transparency on any updates.
- Experts remain skeptical about the feasibility of the 2028 timeline, citing it as potentially unrealistic despite hopeful sentiments.
- NASA's Artemis II mission demonstrated the capability to send humans to lunar orbit, but future moon landings depend on private companies SpaceX and Blue Origin for lunar landing vehicles.
- Reliance on private companies and their billionaires, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, introduces new variables to NASA's lunar ambitions, though it may reduce costs compared to the Apollo era.