The push by Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas to send man back to the moon and onto mars when he chaired the U.S.House Science, Space and Technology Committee received a boost Wednesday during a congressional committee hearing.
The hearing, Step by Step: The Artemis Program and NASA’s Path to Human Exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Beyond, was led by Rep. Mike Haridopolos who like Rep. Lucas, believes strongly in support of the critical importance of staying on track with the Artemis project. Haridopolos told those at the hearing the project will not only prevent the U.S. from falling behind its competitors but also reinforces the U.S.. position as the undeniable leader in space exploration and innovation.
“A mission to Mars will be the defining moment of our era,” Chairman Haridopolos said.”It will be longer and even more difficult than a lunar landing, which is why we must prepare ourselves for the journey. The Moon is our crucial stepping stone—a proving ground to test technologies, refine operations, and reduce risks for that future Mars mission.”
It was nearly an echo of what Rep. Lucas professed during his leadership of the full committee.
“It’s the committee that is not just about tomorrow, or the next day,” he declared in an interview last year. “It’s about the future. It’s what happens in five years, or 50 years or 250 years from now.”
Lucas authored a bill to reauthorize NASA last year.
“Back to the moon, on to Mars,” Lucas said. “Taking us from being an earthbound people, to not just going as we did in 1969 to plant a flag on the moon. But to go back and live on the moon, and ultimately to move on and live on Mars.”
The bill’s purpose was to prioritize the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the 1970s.
“It’s not about planting a flag. It’s about a permanent human presence on the moon and ultimately Mars. Who controls the offworld?”
Lucas is no longer chairman of the committee nor a member of it. He was reassigned this year to other committees.
