Page 32 - May 2019

Cyber
Australia sharing opportunities with

NASA renewed push for the moon

NASA has cleared up its plans to get gateway for the moon landings. That
to the moon in 2024, four years sooner facility may now possess just a few of
that it originally planned. the elements originally proposed for it.
That will first involve speed in NASA has also accelerated
getting American boots onto the moon, development of the lunar lander.
with sustainability later. In a speech Once man has returned to the
to the 35th Space Symposium in moon, NASA will focus on long-term
Colorado, US, NASA administrator sustainability. That includes enhancing
Jim Bridenstine said all the elements gateway capability and ensuring key
of getting man back to the moon in equipment like the lunar lander could
2028 still existed but the order would be reused.
change. “We’re building a capability, we’re
“The first phase is speed. We building an architecture that’s ultimately
want to get those boots on the moon sustainable for the long run. All this was
as soon as possible. Anything that already planned for 2028. We’re just
is a distraction from making that going to accelerate pieces of it,” Mr
happen we’re getting rid of,” he Bridenstine said.
said. He said NASA would be seeking
Man hasn’t set foot on the more money, sending an amended
moon since the last of the US budget proposal to Congress.
Apollo missions in December “We’re going to be going back to
1972. No other nation has Congress with an increased budget
landed men on the moon. request. If we could maybe ask our
NASA now plans to international partners to step up a little
return. China also said more, that would be great as well,” Mr
it plans to land men on Bridenstine said.
the moon around 2030. Could that include Australia?
NASA’ s plans have “Great to meet with @NASA to
been substantially discuss collaboration opportunities
accelerated by the current with the @AusSpaceAgency. Looking
US administration, with forward to building on over 50 years of
vice-president Mike Pence collaboration on space activities between
declaring last month it was the #Australia and the #UnitedStates,”
stated policy of this administration and tweeted Australian Space Agency
the US to return astronauts to the moon deputy head Anthony Murfett.
within the next five years. “I met with over 20 of our international
However, to achieve that, much work partners at #SpaceSymposium. The
is needed. There’s no moon lander yet, common thread is that everyone is
though there is a spacecraft, the Orion. excited about moving forward to the
That will undergo an unmanned test moon together, and we’re mobilizing
flight next year and the first crewed support worldwide to make it happen,”
mission soon after. Mr Bridenstine tweeted.
The US also plans to position a Courtesy Space Connet
station in orbit over the moon as a

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