As chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Oklahoma congressman Frank Lucas wants an update from NASA on the Artemis program.
It’s the effort to return to the moon, or as NASA described it:
“With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”
Rep. Lucas plans a hearing next week to get the update from NASA.
“One of our highest priorities on the Science Committee is returning humans to the Moon,” Chairman Lucas said. “And in order to do that, we must ensure the Artemis program continues to stay on course,” he said in a statment issued by the committee.
” This hearing will be an opportunity to learn from experts about the current status of the program and crucial plans moving forward. The success of these missions will guarantee our national competitiveness and American leadership in space exploration, so we must continue to work together to prioritize their progress and meet expectations.”
SPACE AND AERONAUTICS SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: Returning to the Moon: Keeping Artemis on Track
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
PLACE: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
WITNESSES:
- Ms. Catherine Koerner, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Mr. William Russell, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, U.S. Government Accountability Office
- Mr. George A. Scott, Acting Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Co-President, LogiQ, Inc
Earlier in the week, Space.Com reported that NASA leadership stated that its flagship Artemis 2 mission will be delayed from November 2024 until September 2025. And the Artemis 3 moon-landing mission, originally targeted for late 2025, will now aim for September 2026.
“Safety is our top priority, and to give Artemis teams more time to work through the challenges with first-time developments, operations and integration, we’re going to give more time on Artemis 2 and 3,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during the briefing. “So, what I want to tell you is, we are adjusting our schedule to target Artemis 2 for September of 2025 and September of 2026 for Artemis 3, which will send humans for the first time to the lunar south pole.”