As chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas was eager Wednesday to learn more about why NASA’s Artemis program was delayed again.
He chaired a hearing on the subject of Returning to the Moon: Keeping Artemis on Track, and showed he wanted some answers from NASA’s leadership about the delay announced last week.
“Last week, NASA announced the delay of Artemis 2 to September 2025 and Artemis 3 to September 2026. I look forward to hearing from NASA about the cause of these delays and potential impacts to future missions, and about the steps it is taking to mitigate future risks,” he told those on hand for Wednesday’s opening of the committee hearing.
“I am confident that I speak for everyone on this committee when I say we all support Artemis. This committee has long directed NASA to return humans to the Moon and eventually Mars,” Chairman Lucas said. “But this Committee’s support of Artemis means asking detailed questions of NASA and providing oversight of the agency’s proposals. Congress must have proper insight into the agency’s planning and execution of this mission to ensure its success.”
He also stressed the global competition we face in executing these groundbreaking missions. “I remind my colleagues that we are not the only country interested in sending humans to the Moon. The Chinese Communist Party is actively soliciting international partners for a lunar research station and has stated its ambition to have astronauts on the human surface by 2030.
The country that lands first will have the ability to set a precedent for whether future lunar activities are conducted with openness and transparency or in a more restricted manner.”
His full remarks are available here