NASA: Currently Not Ready for Manned Moon Landing or Building a Lunar Base

Carlos García-Gallardo, the head of NASA's Lunar Base Project, stated that current information available is insufficient to conduct manned lunar missions or construct a lunar base.

In a press conference, Carlos García-Gallardo said: "We know a lot about the Moon, including parts of the south pole, but this knowledge is still not enough to send people up there to establish a lunar base."

He emphasized that, precisely because of this, it is crucial to deploy various equipment on the lunar surface, explore resources, and study environmental conditions.

He believes that in the next phase of lunar exploration, NASA will test multiple locations on the Moon to ensure the success of future crewed missions. He pointed out that acquiring reliable data is one of the goals for future preparations.

The head of the Lunar Base Project further noted that before building a lunar base, NASA must test relevant technologies to ensure it can establish permanent infrastructure and sustain long-term presence on the Moon.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is planning several small unmanned missions to prepare for landing in hazardous areas on the Moon, calling it an "extremely challenging task."

He stressed: "Landing at the lunar south pole and operating in permanently shadowed regions is an extremely difficult undertaking."

The originally planned lunar landing under the Artemis III mission framework, initially scheduled for 2027, has been postponed to 2028 (Artemis IV). Previously, there were plans for regular unmanned lunar flights in 2027. NASA hopes to reliably approach the lunar surface and conduct experiments there by 2029, followed by establishing initial operational capability for a lunar base, with sustained presence expected to begin from 2032 onward.

According to official statements, between Apollo 11 in 1969 and Apollo 17 in 1972, the United States successfully carried out six manned lunar landings, with 12 astronauts stepping onto the lunar surface in phases. Proponents of the theory that "Americans never landed on the Moon" argue that although NASA first achieved a vertical landing of a spacecraft on the Moon in the 1960s, even with technological advancements today, extensive preparation and multiple attempts are still required.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869481514532938/

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