The United States is preparing to send astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years artemis iimarking an important step in human lunar exploration after a long pause since the Apollo era.
NASA’s original moon landing program, the Apollo program, ended in 1972, primarily due to budget constraints and changing political priorities.
The agency originally planned nine missions but was forced to cancel several due to financial constraints, the New York Post reported.
A month after the Apollo 12 moon landing, a top aide to then-President Richard Nixon spoke of limits on space spending. He noted that “the president says he doesn’t have enough money… and must accept funding constraints” [space] activities,” as quoted by space policy expert John Logsdon.
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NASA’s budget was soon reportedly cut by 15 percent, and the risks became even more apparent after the Apollo 13 near-disaster.
Now that the United States had “won” the space race with the Soviet Union, public and political interest declined, further weakening the incentive for costly moon missions.
When was the last mission to the moon?
The last human journey to the moon occurred during the Apollo 17 launch on December 7, 1972.
Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt became the last humans to walk on the lunar surface, while Ron Evans remained in orbit.
Since then, no humans have returned to the moon.
Why is NASA going back now?
More than 50 years later, NASA passed artemis projectdriven by scientific goals and geopolitical competition.
The new push comes amid continued progress by China, which has successfully sent a robotic mission to the moon and plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030, the New York Post reported.
The Artemis program also aims to establish a long-term human presence, including a potential lunar base.
What is Artemis II?
Artemis 2 is a planned 10-day manned mission that will send astronaut Fly around the moon without landing. The cast includes Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Henson.
The mission is expected to test critical systems and pave the way for future lunar landings, currently targeted for later this decade.
If successful, Artemis 2 will mark a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration. NASA’s ultimate goal is to land astronauts on the moon again and establish a sustainable presence.
