The United States wants their astronauts to return to the moon in the next five years

The Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence announced Tuesday that his country 's official policy was to send American astronauts to the moon five years from now, including the first woman.

"By order of the President, the official policy of this administration and the United States is to send American astronauts back to the moon in five yearssaid Pence during a speech in Huntsville, Alabama.

"The first woman and the next man on the moon will be American astronauts, launched by American rockets from American soil ".

The date indicated up to now for a return to the Earth's natural satellite was 2028But the Donald Trump government has expressed frustration at the delays and budget excesses of NASA's program for the construction of its next big SLS rocket, whose first flight was reprogrammed recently for 2021.

During his speech, the vice president attacked the space agency, criticized his "bureaucratic inertia" and called for "renew his enthusiasm".

In addition, he threatened entrust future missions to private companies if NASA was not ready in time.

"If private rockets are the only way to bring American astronauts back to the moon in five years, then it will be private rockets"he stated.

The head of NASA, Jim Bridenstine recently said that it would probably be a woman next door walking on lunar soil, on which no human has walked since 1972.

However, on Tuesday, NASA announced the cancellation of the first spacewalk for two female astronauts, pointing out that there were "not enough space suits of the right size." aboard the International Space Station (ISS). "

American astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McClain were going into history because it was the first time two women performed this operation. Instead, after the decision, Koch will make an outing with his colleague Nick Hague.

Until the moment, only two men or a man and a woman have been out since the start of the station's badembly in 1998. To date, 214 space events have been recorded.