Apparently, plans to return American astronauts to the Moon by the end of the 2020s were not ambitious enough. At the very least, US Vice President Michael Pence announced at the National Space Council that the US now plans to return to the Earth satellite in 2024, about four years earlier than previously expected.
He believes that the US must remain first in space this century for economic primacy, national security, and the creation of "space rules and values" through a more assertive American presence in outer space.
Mr. Pence agreed that the time frame was short, but said it was realistic and pointed to the Apollo 11 landing as an example of how fast the US can move forward if the country is motivated. He suggested that the use of private rockets might be required if the Space Launch System launch vehicle was not ready in time.
There is one major problem with the plans: it is not clear that there is money for such an expensive undertaking. Although the proposed fiscal year 2020 budget will slightly increase NASA funding to $21 billion, astrophysicist Katie Mack noted that this would be only a fraction of the funding compared to the Apollo program in the 1960s. While the federal budget has clearly grown in recent decades, as have spending on space travel, the government may have to spend much more if it is to achieve its goal.
In a speech just now, Mike Pence proposed sending astronauts back to the Moon within five years.
Just as a reminder, here's the NASA budget over time. Current projections for 2018/2019/2020 are small fluctuations on the 2017 point. See if you can spot the Apollo years. pic.twitter.com/sLwdEjhdJg
— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) March 26, 2019
Source: 3dnews.ru