NASA will probably not build an outpost on the moon as originally planned, the agency鈥檚 acting administrator, Chris Scolese, told lawmakers on Wednesday. His comments also hinted that the agency is open to putting more emphasis on human missions to destinations like Mars or a near-Earth asteroid.
NASA has been working towards by 2020 and building a permanent base there. But some space analysts and advocacy groups like the Planetary Society have urged the agency to cancel plans for a permanent moon base, carry out shorter moon missions instead, and focus on getting astronauts to Mars.
Under Scolese鈥檚 predecessor, Mike Griffin, the agency held firm to its moon base plans. But the comments by Scolese, who will lead NASA until President Barack Obama nominates the next administrator, suggest a shift in the agency鈥檚 direction. He spoke to the of the House Committee on Appropriations.
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Scolese was asked repeatedly whether NASA could still make it to the moon by 2020 under the proposed 2010 budget, but failed to give a clear yes or no, and his answers suggested the agency鈥檚 plans were in flux.
Short trips
鈥淲e were looking at an outpost on the moon, as the basis for that [2020] estimate and that one is being revisited,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t will probably be less than an outpost on the moon, but where it fits between sorties, single trips, to the moon to various parts and an outpost is really going to be dependent on the studies that we鈥檙e going to be doing.鈥�
鈥淩ecall [that] the Vision [for Space Exploration] was not just to go to the moon as it was in Apollo, it was to utilise space to go on to Mars and to go to other places,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檝e demonstrated over the last several years that with multiple flights we can build a very complex system reliably 鈥� the space station 鈥� involving multiple nations鈥nd we鈥檒l need something like that if we鈥檙e going to go to Mars.鈥�
Scolese鈥檚 further comments hinted that the agency鈥檚 plans might shift to include a greater emphasis on destinations beyond the moon. 鈥淪o what I would like to see from NASA over time is an architecture that鈥ill give us flexibility for taking humans beyond low-Earth orbit and allowing us to have options for what we can do at the moon as well as other destinations鈥like] Mars or an asteroid鈥o that there are options on what we do in 2020,鈥� he said.
Vague answers
Scolese鈥檚 vague answers on whether NASA believed it could meet its 2020 moon deadline, as well as similarly unclear answers from Doug Cooke, NASA鈥檚 associate administrator for exploration systems, left the subcommittee鈥檚 chair, congressman Alan Mollohan, wondering whether the agency had been given new directions.
鈥淒oes the 2010 budget request impact in any way our target 鈥� is this so complicated 鈥� our target of getting to the moon by 2020?鈥� he asked. 鈥淚s there any consideration being given within the organisation to not attempting to meet the 2020 moon [return]鈥s there any reconsideration of going there? What is going on here?鈥�
Cooke replied: 鈥淭he direction that we have is to continue to pursue the 2020 date,鈥� but added that the agency was still assessing how the 2010 budget might affect that.
Some clarification about any shift in NASA鈥檚 goals and priorities could come in early May, when the Obama administration鈥檚 detailed 2010 budget proposal for NASA is set to be released.
