The US has announced that it will put astronauts back on the Moon within five years “by any means necessary”.
Nasa had originally planned a manned mission by 2028 but the deadline has been brought forward because, says Sky News, there are fears the US is falling behind in the space race and President Donald Trump wants a flagship project to boost his re-election bid.
Announcing the revised timetable at a meeting of the National Space Council in Alabama, Vice President Mike Pence said: “We're in a space race today, just as we were in the 1960s.”
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Paraphrasing Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, Pence said: “It's time for the next giant leap.” He explained this involved “returning American astronauts to the Moon within the next five years by any means necessary,” establishing “a permanent presence on the Moon” and “preparing to put American astronauts on Mars”.
There is also a military dimension to the plan. Pence said Washington wants to “meet the growing security threats in the war fighting domain of space”. The Pentagon is concerned about the potential space weaponry capabilities of rival superpowers Russia and China. Both countries have landed unmanned craft on the Moon.
Pence added that “Nasa must transform itself into a leaner, more accountable and more agile organisation”. CNN points out that in their recent budget proposal, the Trump administration suggested slashing the funding for the SLS moon rocket by 15%.
Nasa carried out six manned flights to Earth's satellite between 1969 and 1972. In partnership with Boeing it is currently developing its next big rocket and capsule vehicle - the Space Launch System, or SLS, designed to carry crews and cargo beyond Earth's orbit.
Following Pence's announcement, the Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in a Twitter post: “Challenge accepted. Now let's get to work.”
