“Moon Dreams on Hold? Watchdog Cautions NASA on Lunar Ambitions

NASA is expected to postpone its ambitious plans to reach the Moon, according to a watchdog group. A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests that the space agency’s ambitious plans to reach the Moon could be delayed significantly due to a lack of funding, manpower, and clear goals. The GAO review of NASA’s upcoming Exploration Program found numerous problems that could potentially put the program off track. These include insufficient funding, inadequate project and science management, and a lack of clear objectives. Overall, the report suggested that NASA is setting unrealistic deadlines for its lunar mission. In June of 2019, the agency announced ambitious plans to return to the moon by 2024. However, with the challenges listed in the report, the reality of achieving this goal by its initial planned timeline may be unlikely. According to the report, the most prominent problem was an apparent lack of adequate funding to allow the project to move forward. NASA has requested $8 billion to fund the mission in 2020, with subsequent years to also include significant requests—far more than the agency has previously received. The availability of such a large sum of money from the US government remains uncertain, and the GAO concluded that any mission to the moon wouldn’t be launched until 2022 at the earliest. The report emphasizes the need for a “clear roadmap” for NASA’s moon mission, which includes setting more realistic deadlines and providing adequate support for implementing the finalized plan. Recent statements from NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine indicated that the space agency hasn’t let the GAO’s findings bring down its enthusiasm. Bridenstine suggested that the 2024 goal is still the target for lunar exploration — and with the amount of public interest for space exploration, it’s likely that increased support and funding can be obtained to ensure success. Overall, the GAO report has produced some interesting takeaways for the space industry, including the need for realistic timelines, necessary funding, and strong leadership. With a clear roadmap and commitment from the US government, NASA may still reach its lunar destination within its desired timeline.