By 2025, NASA will spend 93 billion dollars on the lunar Artemis program. Such a prognosis is contained in the report of the General Inspector of the American Space Office Paul Martin, reports Space.com.
In particular, the document claims that the production and launch of one bundle from the super heavy missile Space Launch System (SLS) and the ORION spacecraft will cost $ 4.1 billion dollars.
The publication notes that an estimate of $ 93 billion covers the period of work from 2012 to 2025 fiscal year. For comparison, from 1960 to 1973, the United States has spent $ 280 billion (at the current course).
Also in the document notes that the landing planned for 2024 Americans can be postponed for several years, which is associated with the unwillingness of the Spa and the Human Landing System (HLS) System.
In October, NASA has appointed the nearest launch date of SLS with Orion to the Moon on February 12, 2022. As part of an unmanned mission, Artemis 1 spacecraft must fly out the natural satellite of the Earth. Depending on the relative position of the Moon and the Earth at the time of the launch of the missile, the duration of the mission will be from three to six weeks.
In July 2019, Mike Pens, taking the position of vice president of the United States, said that the American lunar program suggests the constant presence of astronauts on the natural satellite of the Earth. At the same time, NASA reported that the Reusable ORION spacecraft for the lunar mission of Artemis 1 is ready.