Even as the world seeks to recover from the economic ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, an entirely new era of economic and scientific growth is looming from America’s plans to explore and exploit the Moon. Over the next three days, the New York Analysis of Policy and Government will present NASA’s bold plans for a new era of exploration unlike anything since the opening up of the New World by Columbus over a half millennia ago.
NASA HAS released its plans for the future exploration and development of the Moon.
The Moon is the gateway to the solar system. A world equivalent to an entire continent that human feet have touched only a few times. As Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor, the Moon has profound potential to be a source of new scientific advances and economic growth. It is also the best place for us to test our deep space systems and operations in preparation for the first human mission to another planet: Mars. Over the next decade, the Artemis program will lay the foundation for a sustained long-term presence on the lunar surface and use the Moon to validate deep space systems and operations before embarking on the much farther voyage to Mars.
Over the coming decades and generations, our presence will grow to use and develop the extensive resources of the Moon, including its water and metal deposits. As the Moon unveils her secrets, scientific interest continues to grow. In addition to enabling scientific understanding of the formation of the Earth and the solar system through lunar geology and chemistry, exploration of the Moon will enable ground-breaking scientific discoveries about the universe, including through radio astronomy from the incredible vantage point of the far side of the Moon. As in the skies and now low-Earth orbit, NASA’s scientific and exploration efforts lead the way and economic development follows. The Artemis program will similarly enable commercial opportunities on the lunar surface, beginning with the first U.S commercial lunar deliveries next year.
The Moon is more than a physical destination. A core focus of Artemis is to extend the nation’s geo-strategic and economic sphere to encompass the Moon with international partners and private industry. The United States will build confidence among its commercial, U.S. government, and international partners by leading the development of clear policy principles to support civil space exploration with an initial emphasis on the Artemis program. Specifically, the U.S. will establish a predictable and safe process for the extraction and use of space resources under the auspices of the Outer Space Treaty.
This document covers and responds to the Chairman of the National Space Council’s direction to provide a plan for a sustained lunar presence, including the technologies and capabilities to enable the first human mission to Mars. For millennia humanity has looked at the Moon in wonder and awe. As the United States leads the development of a sustained presence on the Moon together with commercial partners and international partners, our presence on the Moon will serve as a constant reminder of the limitless potential of humanity. It will continue to inspire humanity as we seek ever more distant worlds to explore – starting with Mars.
The first human mission to Mars will mark a transformative moment for human civilization. Establishing a sustained lunar presence and taking the initial steps toward the first human mission to Mars will be the greatest feat of engineering, and the greatest voyage of exploration and discovery, in human history. These missions will drive technology and innovation using the country’s unparalleled scientific capabilities, dynamic economy, and robust industrial base. These missions will inspire generations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals and countless other disciplines, while offering opportunities to domestic partners in government, industry, and academia.
Most importantly, the accomplishments of the Moon to Mars approach will assure that America remains at the forefront of exploration and discovery. The United States is still the only nation to have successfully landed humans on the Moon and spacecraft on the surface of Mars. As other nations steadily increase their presence and spending, American leadership is now called for to lead the next phase of humanity’s quest to create a future comprised of endless discovery and growth in the final frontier.
THE ARTEMIS GENERATION
Everyone born after the year 2000 has always known a world where people have been living in space. In this decade, we will all see humans walking on the Moon again – this is the Artemis Generation. Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo, will put in place the key infrastructure on and around the Moon that will be built upon and leveraged for generations to come.
Americans will return to the Moon in 2024. Following this 2024 landing, we will develop a sustained, strategic presence at the lunar South Pole called the Artemis Base Camp. Our activities at our Artemis Base Camp over the next decade will pave the way for long-term economic and scientific activity at the Moon, as well as for the first human mission to Mars in the 2030s.
Starting next year, a steady stream of robotic precursors and technology demonstrations will begin lunar operations. The Moon is a fundamental part of our planet’s past and future. Although Americans first walked on its surface more than 50 years ago, our explorers left only fleeting footprints at a few sites, spending a total of 16 days on the lunar surface. These missions were all in the equatorial region, with a total traverse of less than 100kms (~62 miles) – on a body whose surface area is the size of Africa.
This next wave of lunar exploration will be fundamentally different. It starts with American expeditions to the vicinity of the Moon in 2023, and landing astronauts on the surface in 2024. This will be the first chance for most people alive today to witness a human lunar encounter and landing – a moment when, in awe and wonder, the world holds its breath. America will not stop there – this will be the opening chapter of a new era of discovery and exploration.
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Artemis is the core of NASA’s exploration and human spaceflight plans for the next decade. Artemis builds upon ongoing human spaceflight efforts conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and prepares the way for future human spaceflight programs, including the first human mission to Mars. NASA’s overall Level Zero Goals for exploration encompass these three primary domains – low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
NASA Exploration Level Zero Goals
• Transition U.S. human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit to commercial operations, which support NASA and its partners. Use the ISS and new commercial facilities as testbeds for exploration technologies and to nurture emerging commercial applications.
• Advance long-term robotic exploration of the Moon with robust commercial and international partnerships.
• Land American astronauts on the Moon and return them safely.
• Expand U.S. human spaceflight operations at the Moon to support sustained lunar surface activities and to demonstrate elements of a Mars-forward architecture.
• Continue U.S. leadership at Mars by advancing robotic access in preparation for human exploration.
• Engage and inspire America and the world along each step of the way.
Pursuing these goals will ensure our current and future activities in low-Earth orbit can enable Artemis, and that Artemis enables the future exploration of Mars.
NASA has developed a strategy for achieving the Level Zero Goals that includes: a combination of robotic and human missions; architectures that build off of key, enabling hardware elements already in development; new technologies that will expand future options and operations; and new developments which will engage the NASA workforce, industry, and international partners to encourage innovative capabilities and harness competitive and cooperative energies. These efforts are being integrated into a sequence of missions that start with a near-term return of humans to the Moon, and then continue with a set of missions on and around the Moon that will lay the foundation for a sustainable presence. Ultimately, the experiences gained, and technologies demonstrated by these lunar operations will support a historic first human mission to Mars. Conducting scientific exploration synergistically with crew and robotic explorers teaches us effective techniques that can be applied as we push the boundaries of space exploration.
The Report Continues Tomorrow
Illustration: NASA