NASA is accelerating preparations for returning people to the Moon and building a base there. This was reported by the agency's head, Jared Isaacman. According to him, the pace of work is now comparable to the era of the "Apollos" - the 1968-1972 program, when 24 astronauts flew to the Moon and 12 of them landed on the surface.
However, the timelines remain stretched. The Artemis III mission is due to launch next summer, but it will take place without a landing: four astronauts - three from NASA and one from Italy - will spend two weeks in near-Earth orbit. They are to practice docking with lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin. This will require three rapid launches from Cape Canaveral. First the Orion capsule will dock with the Blue Ghost vehicle from Blue Origin at an altitude of about 435 kilometers, then with the Starship spacecraft from SpaceX in a slightly lower orbit.
The landing itself, that is, the first moonwalk since the "Apollos," is scheduled for 2028 as part of the Artemis IV mission. It has not yet been decided whom NASA will choose as the lander - SpaceX or Blue Origin. Officials say the agency will keep both options open for as long as possible.
Isaacman acknowledged: in the "new space race" with China, the lag may turn out to be "much smaller than we would like," since in past years things moved slowly. Now NASA, according to him, is getting rid of endless meetings and bureaucracy, and contractor companies are working around the clock.
In parallel, the agency is preparing a base at the Moon's south pole - far from the equatorial landing sites of the "Apollos." The first launch under this program is expected before the end of the year. A Pittsburgh company, whose first lunar mission failed in 2024, will try "take two": this time with a rover and other experiments in the south polar region. New vehicles will follow, so that by the arrival of the first landing participants their lunar car will already be waiting in place.
To reduce risks, the first Moon explorers will wear lighter and simpler spacesuits than those still being developed by Axiom Space for long excursions. Axiom's new so-called "excursion" suits will be tested on the International Space Station next year.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, a member of the Artemis III crew, called creating a long-term presence on the Moon an "incredibly ambitious" task - far more difficult than the short flights of the "Apollo" era.