According to American experts, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States will spend $93 billion on the Artemis lunar program by 2025. Earlier it became known that the landing of astronauts on the Earth's satellite will take place no earlier than 2025.
The portal reported about the approximate cost of the Artemis program with reference to the audit materials of the Office of the Inspector General of NASA Space.com . According to him, the cost of Artemis by 2025 will amount to $ 93 billion.
For comparison, according to the nonprofit organization The Planetary Society, the United States spent $28 billion on the Apollo lunar program from 1960 to 1973. This is about 280 billion dollars by modern standards.
Artemis is the most expensive and ambitious space program of our days. It is aimed at returning astronauts to the Earth's natural satellite. In addition, NASA and partners want to create a Gateway lunar station, which will facilitate the development of the satellite.
Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway
Image Source: NASA
The program is designed for several stages. The first one can be implemented in 2022: a capsule without a crew will spend some time in orbit around the Moon and return home. If successful, NASA expects to perform the first manned flight under the program in 2024. However, it does not involve landing on the surface of a satellite: astronauts will simply fly around the Moon on the new Orion spacecraft.
They intend to deliver a man to the moon during the third stage. They wanted to land astronauts on the satellite in 2024, but recently it became known that this should not be expected until 2025 (now these deadlines are called too optimistic). Among the reasons for the transfer are the technical complexity of the operation and the unavailability of a number of components: for example, the most complex xEMU spacesuits in which astronauts will work on the lunar surface.
Presentation of new xEMU spacesuits in 2019
Image Source: NASA
The program was also negatively affected by the litigation between Blue Origin and NASA related to the choice of SpaceX as the creator of the lunar lander. Recall that Elon Musk's company offers to use its Starship HLS module - a modified version of the promising Starship ship. Blue Origin showed its version of the lunar module in 2020.
Two other key components of the Artemis program have long been known. In addition to the Orion mentioned above, the new superheavy rocket Space Launch System will help to realize the mission. She's just about to make her first flight.
