Podcast Summary
NASA's new moon rocket test flight: NASA's Artemis program aims to return to the moon with a crew, featuring a powerful new rocket for its first test flight on Monday. Notably, NASA plans to put a woman and the first person of color on the lunar mission.
The BBC provides valuable information and inspiration through storytelling, encouraging audiences to think critically. NASA is currently working on a new moon rocket, the Artemis program, which is a follow-up to the Apollo missions. This rocket, which is more powerful than the Saturn 5 moon rocket, is scheduled for its first test flight on Monday, and if successful, it could send a crew capsule on a lunar mission in the coming years. Notably, NASA aims to put a woman and the first person of color on the moon as part of this program. The Artemis program's name is significant as Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. This test flight is an essential step towards achieving NASA's goal of returning to the moon with a crew. The BBC's coverage of these events offers insights into the scientific advancements and the historical significance of these missions.
NASA's New Moon Rocket Set for Test Flight: NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket could fly for the first time this week, designed for crewed lunar missions under Artemis program, resembles older spacecraft but aims for lunar return, some question necessity and investment, predicted lunar touchdown by 2025 with delays expected.
NASA is preparing for a test flight of its new moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), which could potentially occur as early as this week. The SLS is designed to carry a crew to the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis program, with the goal of returning humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions. The rocket, which stands tall with a big orange fuel tank and solid rocket boosters on each side, resembles older spacecraft like the space shuttle, but the crew capsule on top is more reminiscent of the Apollo era, with its bell shape. NASA hopes to learn valuable information from this test flight, but some question the necessity of the moon program and the massive investment in the SLS. The touchdown on the lunar surface is predicted to occur no earlier than 2025, and delays are expected. Despite potential challenges, NASA remains optimistic about the upcoming test flight.
NASA's New Moon Rocket: A Transition to Commercial Spaceflights and Deep Space Exploration: NASA's new moon rocket, using shuttle technology, is a transition to commercial spaceflights and a focus on deep space exploration, with the first flight not landing on the moon but coming close in 2022.
NASA's new moon rocket, which looks similar to the retired space shuttle but is not a shuttle itself, is a result of the agency's plan to transition routine spaceflights to commercial companies and focus on deep space exploration. This rocket, which has faced longer-than-expected development timelines, uses shuttle technology to preserve jobs and contracts. SpaceX, a private company, has successfully taken over NASA's role in sending astronauts to the International Space Station. NASA aimed to build this rocket for human exploration of the moon and beyond, with a goal of flying in 2018, but it's only now ready in 2022. The first flight of this rocket will not land on the moon but will only come close to it.
NASA's Lunar Mission with Mannequins: NASA is testing a new spacecraft for lunar missions, evaluating radiation shielding and spacecraft capabilities with mannequins. Predicted first manned mission in a few years.
NASA is preparing for a new mission to the moon with a test flight carrying mannequins named Munikin, Helga, and Zohar. The mission will involve orbiting the moon, testing the spacecraft's capabilities, and evaluating radiation shielding. The spacecraft, which will travel farther into space than any human-built spacecraft before it, will last up to 42 days and return to Earth at unprecedented speeds, requiring a functional heat shield. The first manned mission to the moon using this technology is predicted to occur in a few years. NASA is collecting valuable data on the spacecraft's performance and the effects of space travel on mannequins, paving the way for future manned lunar missions.
NASA's expensive moon rocket faces sustainability concerns: NASA's costly moon rocket, with each launch over $4B and development costs adding another $1B, faces criticism for unsustainability compared to companies' more affordable, reusable rockets
NASA's new moon rocket is extremely expensive, with each launch costing over $4 billion and development costs adding another billion. This high cost, coupled with the fact that there won't be another launch for at least two years, has raised concerns among critics that this approach is not sustainable for long-term lunar exploration. In contrast, companies like SpaceX are making strides in developing more affordable, reusable rockets like the Falcon Heavy and Starship, which could potentially offer more frequent and cost-effective trips to the moon. NASA's current moon rocket, while the only one capable of carrying people to the moon at present, may face challenges in justifying its cost and sustainability in the face of emerging competition.
A New Era in Space Exploration: NASA's Role: NASA's test flight of their rocket marks a significant moment in space exploration as private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin make strides towards orbit, potentially making NASA's offerings redundant. We're finally seeing concrete progress towards returning to the moon and beyond.
We are on the brink of a new era in space exploration, with SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Shepard both making significant strides towards their first test flights into orbit. This development raises questions about NASA's role in the future of space travel, as these private companies' advanced rockets and capsules could potentially make NASA's offerings redundant. The importance of this moment lies in the fact that we are finally seeing concrete progress towards returning to the moon, and possibly beyond, after decades of discussion. NASA's upcoming test flight of their rocket will provide valuable insights into what the future holds for space travel. The launch window for NASA's test flight opens at 8:33 AM EST on Monday morning. This is an exciting time for space exploration, and we are all eager to see what the future holds. This episode of Shortwave was produced by Chloe Weiner, edited by Rebecca Ramirez, fact checked by Rachel Carlson, audio engineered by Stu Rushfield, and supervised by Gisele Grayson, Andrea Kissick, Taryn Samuel, Edith Chapin, and Nancy Barnes. Support for this NPR podcast comes from Easycater, a company dedicated to helping businesses solve their food needs, from employee meal plans to on-site staffing to concierge ordering support with corporate accounts, nationwide restaurant coverage, and payment by invoice. Easycater.com. I'm Regina Barber, and thank you for listening to Shortwave, the daily science podcast from NPR.
