A recent issue with the heat shield of a space capsule has led NASA to delay two key missions to the moon, one of which was set to land astronauts on the lunar surface.

This heat shield complication adds to the list of problems faced by the Artemis program, aimed at bringing humans back to the moon. President-elect Donald Trump, who plans to implement significant changes upon his return to office, may cause further delays for the Artemis initiative.

Trump intends to reduce government expenditures and has enlisted billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, to oversee the process.

This shift in leadership could threaten NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), a costly rocket designed to transport Artemis astronauts to the moon, and later, Mars. The SLS has faced backlash due to its escalating costs and development delays.

A Comparison of NASA and SpaceX Rockets

The Artemis missions rely on the SLS to launch the Orion spacecraft, which carries crew members.

Developed since 2011, the SLS is more powerful than the Saturn V rockets used during the Apollo missions. According to NASA, it is built to facilitate human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.

While the cancellation of the project is not definitive at this stage, costs associated with the SLS continue to rise. NASA representatives informed the Government Accountability Office in September 2023 that the current expenses make the SLS program unsustainable.

For fiscal year 2024, NASA requested $11.2 billion to support the project through 2028.

“In December 2022, Artemis I concluded its 25-day uncrewed test mission after nearly four years of launch delays and significant cost increases,” according to an assessment from NASA in October 2023.

The total expenses for NASA’s Artemis program are expected to reach $93 billion from fiscal year 2012 to 2025, with SLS costs accounting for 26 percent ($23.8 billion) of this total, the report indicated.

Rescheduling Moon Missions

The space agency disclosed the postponement of the two missions on December 5, as reported by Reuters. The Artemis II mission, which involves a crewed flight around the moon without landing, has been rescheduled from September 2025 to April 2026.

Additionally, the Artemis III mission, aiming to land humans on the moon’s surface for the first time since 1972, has been pushed from 2026 to 2027.

Details on Flight Delays and Cost Overruns

During the successful flight of Artemis I, cracks were discovered in the Orion capsule’s heat shield. This mission saw the uncrewed spacecraft orbit the moon and return to Earth in December 2022.

NASA has stated that the heat shield issue can be resolved by adjusting Orion’s reentry course and reducing its speed from approximately 25,000 mph to around 325 mph before parachute deployment.

However, further reports from the government have criticized the development of the SLS:

• March 2020: A report from NASA’s Office of the Inspector General warned that costs could exceed $50 billion, surpassing initial estimates.
• May 2023: Another Inspector General report expressed concerns about NASA’s management of the SLS boosters and engines.
• September 2023: A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office criticized NASA for its lack of transparency regarding production cost overruns and stated that the SLS program lacks long-term sustainability and affordability.
• August 2024: A NASA Inspector General report highlighted quality control issues in Boeing’s work on the upcoming SLS version.

With Trump taking office on January 20, potential changes in policy could impact the space program.

The media has raised concerns that the SLS program may be discontinued, and speculation suggests NASA might turn to private contractors for future space missions, according to Space.com.

SpaceX, which is already partnering with NASA for moon landings, has a different payload capacity, but its Starship rockets might eventually take the place of the SLS. However, according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, this switch won’t happen in the near future, as stated in a 2022 interview with Der Spiegel.

Trump has selected Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut and business associate of Trump and Musk, to lead NASA, as reported by Reuters. Isaacman is expected to enhance NASA’s collaboration with private companies for space travel services.

Eric Berger, a senior space editor at Ars Technica, mentioned on X that there’s an equal chance of the SLS being canceled.

No official statements regarding the SLS’s future have been made yet.

During his first term, Trump supported advances in American space exploration. His Space Policy Directive 1, initiated in December 2017, established a U.S.-led initiative in cooperation with the private sector.

The plan included returning astronauts to the moon, with ambitions for future Mars missions.

However, in 2019, Trump suggested prioritizing Mars over returning to the moon.

Should NASA continue experiencing delays, it could allow China to achieve a moon landing before the U.S., with China targeting a 2030 landing date.

Nasa aims to have astronauts land on the moon through its Artemis program by 2027.

Both the United States and its partnering nation are targeting lunar landings near the south pole of the moon, an area believed to host deep craters that may harbor water ice.

According to the World Economic Forum, water ice could serve as a crucial resource for further moon exploration, potentially being transformed into drinking water or utilized for creating fuel and oxygen.

SOURCES: YSL News Network reporting and research; Reuters; NASA; space.com