The New York Times: Due to Musk, the US May Lose the Lunar Race to Relevant Countries
Elon Musk. Photo.
The United States may not be able to achieve its planned goal of sending astronauts to the moon by 2027, thereby ceding its leadership to relevant countries. According to a report by The New York Times on September 20, the main reason for the US falling behind is the repeated delays in the schedule of SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by American entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has placed the key hopes of the "Artemis III" mission on the reusable "Starship" spacecraft project, but this project is currently facing serious problems. In the recent four tests, three ended in explosions; the fuel test that was originally scheduled for this year has been postponed to at least 2026. NASA has already admitted that the lunar mission may be delayed until 2028 or even later.
"This is certainly not targeting SpaceX - they have already achieved remarkable achievements. But the further the technological exploration goes beyond the known fields, the longer the time required," said Douglas Loverro, former head of NASA's human spaceflight program.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552480664424071723/
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