https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/73-moon-landings-nasas-moon-base-users-guide-reveals-the-agencys-most-ambitious-space-project-will-be-fraught-with-challenges
Isaacman said ""We want to land lots of stuff, and it's okay if some of it breaks, we're going to learn."
The moon base user's guide identifies numerous "gaps" that NASA needs to close to make this work. The plan is apparently to close each of those gaps, and send tons of equipment up there in 73 launches over three phases. Mostly uncrewed launches in Phases One and Two but increasing more crewed, especially in Phase Three. It's far from an all-in-one shot effort.
Gateway was killed because if it didn't work it would have been a roadblock to ever landing on the moon. It was determined direct landings would avoid a risky potential show stopper. I liked the idea of a space station in lunar orbit, but if that was the only path to the surface it was probably a good idea to kill it for now.
The one thing this article doesn't get is that SLS is done after Artemis 5. It complains about the insane cost of SLS as if there are not alternatives in the pipeline. After Artemis 5, moonshots must be Starship or New Glenn or both. Btw, New Glenn 3 has a potential launch window for Sunday (April 19).
Space/Science » in reply to No space station?
Here's an article about the Moon Base plan: 73 launches
The whole thread (35 posts)
- NASA's Moon Base User’s Guide
- Corrosion?
- The abandoning of the Lunar Gateway station was effectively spitting in the face of our European partners
- Mixed feelings
- No space station?