NASA preparing first journey to the Moon in 46 years
For the first time in nearly 50 years, NASA will journey to the Moon. The announcement is set to come days after the agency successfully sent a rover to Mars.
For the first time in nearly five decades, the US will journey back to the Moon as part of a large scale space study involving several private companies.
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is expected to make the announcement about 4.30am AEST tomorrow, which will air live on NASA Television as well as the space agency’s website.
This mission will be the first since the US landed the Apollo 17 spacecraft on the Moon in December 1972.
A statement released by NASA this week detailed that the space agency would partner with private enterprise in a “long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and Mars”.
While the initial statement was largely vague on details or dates of the planned mission, Mr Bridenstine teased that it would happen “sooner than you think”.
BREAKING: We are announcing new Moon partnerships with American companies at 2pm ET this Thursday. The U.S. is returning to the surface of the Moon, and we’re doing it sooner than you think! https://t.co/1vC2NC6OzI
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) November 27, 2018
It appears that the mission will begin with a trip to the Moon and then on to the Red Planet, Mars.
According to the NASA statement, a list of American companies participating in these so-called “Moon partnerships” is expected to be announced this afternoon.
NASA’s Administrator, Mr Bridenstine, has had a busy week, after the space agency successfully landed the $AU1.2 billion Mars InSight Lander on the Red Planet on Monday.
A promotional video, posted by NASA to Twitter, detailed the space agency was actively “building the next chapter of American exploration”.
“We are returning to the moon to stay, so that we can go beyond, to Mars to expand what’s possible and further our understanding,” the video explained.
“The architecture for these missions is already taking shape. We will go with new systems bold designs and a sustainable mission”.
It’s time to take the next great leap in exploration. We are NASA. pic.twitter.com/7cx2LA3FoB
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) November 16, 2018
The idea of another Moon voyage was flagged earlier this year, when US President Donald Trump said he wanted America to reinvigorate it’s efforts to explore space.
During a meeting with the National Space Council in June, Mr Trump said he wanted the US to beat China and Russia in the race to “be the leader by far” in space.
“It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space,” Mr Trump said. “We must have American dominance in space.”
According to Mr Trump at the time, the next US mission to space will see the nation “do more than plant our flag and leave our footprints”.
“We will establish a long-term presence, expand our economy, and build the foundation for an eventual mission to Mars which is actually going to happen very quickly,” he said.
