More than 50 years after the Apollo missions, NASA is finally ready to send astronauts around the moon again Artemis 2. Despite the huge advances in technology over the years, sending humans back into deep space has proven to be more complicated than it seems.
Why space travel remains difficult
based on conversationThe first thing to understand is that safely sending humans into space has never been easier, it’s only getting more complicated. New technologies require years of research, development, and testing before they can be trusted by humans. Even so, the problem occurred in a way that surprised even the most experienced engineers.
Two recent examples illustrate this clearly. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is experiencing serious thruster problems, so much so that NASA decided to send it back from the International Space Station without a crew present. A heat shield on the Orion capsule, the same spacecraft that carried the Artemis 2 crew, broke in an unexpected way during the unmanned Artemis 1 mission, sparking years of additional research and forcing NASA to completely change its re-entry plans.
These are not failures of imagination. They’re a reminder of how unforgiving space travel still is.
NASA’s mission also relies on long-term political and financial support. After the Apollo era, budget cuts in the 1970s led to the cancellation of planned lunar missions, shifting focus to projects such as Skylab and later the space shuttle program. For decades, NASA focused on low-Earth orbit, including building and maintaining the International Space Station.
Artemis journey so far
Artemis 1 launches in 2022, the first mission to simultaneously test the Space Launch System and Orion during a 25-day unmanned flight. Artemis 2 will be the first manned mission, sending four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon, which will help prepare for future landings. Although it took more than 50 years to return, experts say the wait was just a small part of NASA’s long journey back to the moon.
Every president has a different direction
One of the biggest reasons returning to the moon has taken so long is the lack of stable political support over the years. NASA’s plans often change with the U.S. government.
In the late 1990s, the Clinton administration asked NASA to look beyond the space station. The issue took on added urgency after the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, which raised serious concerns about the future of human spaceflight.
In 2004, President George W. Bush laid out a vision for space exploration that called for NASA to retire the space shuttle and focus on returning humans to the moon and eventually Mars. This led to the Constellation program, which included the Orion capsule and new rockets called Ares I and Ares V.
However, a 2009 review found that NASA’s plan was too expensive for its budget. The Obama administration canceled the Constellation program, but the Orion spacecraft continues. In 2010, NASA was also tasked with building a new heavy-lift rocket, which later became the Space Launch System.
Later, in 2017, the Trump administration once again shifted its focus back to the moon and set a lunar landing goal. Finally, in 2019, the effort was officially named Project Artemis.
Also read: Artemis 2 Cost Explained: How much did NASA spend on its latest moon mission? Who pays for this?
A multi-billion mission
Artemis II is part of NASA’s larger Artemis program, which has cost more than $90 billion and may exceed $100 billion. Because deep space travel requires advanced systems, each launch, including Artemis 2, is estimated to cost more than $4 billion. The mission is primarily funded by the U.S. government, with support from international partners and private companies, making it one of the most expensive space programs since the Apollo program.
