The United States is unlikely to meet its Artemis program goal of landing astronauts again on the Moon by 2024 because of lack of sufficient funding, Acting National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in an interview published on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2021) The United States is unlikely to meet its Artemis program goal of landing astronauts again on the Moon by 2024 because of lack of sufficient funding, Acting National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in an interview published on Thursday."The 2024 lunar landing goal may no longer be a realistic target due to the last two years of appropriations, which did not provide enough funding to make 2024 achievable," Jurczyk, told the Ars Technia news website. "In light of this, we are reviewing the program for the most efficient path forward."
Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration would continue and support the Artemis program to return to the Moon and later send a manned expedition to Mars that was launched by the previous Trump administration. Jurczyk confirmed this in his interview
"The administration supports the goals of the Artemis program and we are excited about next steps. We fully intend to maintain the continuity of purpose of the Artemis program," he said.
Biden's decision to preserve and support the Artemis program was widely welcomed in the US space industry, the report noted.
