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The Americans will return to the moon by 2024, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday at a meeting of the National Council of Space.
"It's the declared policy of this administration and the United States of America to send American astronauts back to the moon in the next five years," said Mr. Pence.
The Vice President also said that the ambitious goal – four years earlier than NASA's current schedule for a lunar landing – would be achieved "by all means necessary".
"This is the time for the next giant leap," he said, echoing the famous words of astronaut Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon's floor nearly 50 years ago. years. "This next giant step is to send American astronauts back to the moon [by 2024] … and to establish a permanent presence on the moon and to prepare the sending of American astronauts on Mars. "
Noting the recent progress of China and Russia in space, Pence added that the United States is currently in a "space race".
"It's not just the competition against our opponents," Pence said. "We are also running against our worst enemy – complacency."
The Vice President did not, however, explain how the administration planned to achieve this goal without a significant acceleration of expenditures. Although NASA's budget rising to $ 21.5 billion for 2019 is the largest in years, the administration has proposed to reduce it to $ 21 billion next year , with subsequent annual increases of only 1%, reported the New York Times.
The Trump administration has also proposed significantly reducing the funding of NASA's space launch system, an essential element of the agency's lunar landing plans.
Still, Jim Bridenstine, NASA's director, said confident Tuesday that the agency could reach the new 2024 target:
Lockheed Martin, one of the major subcontractors working with NASA to bring humans back to the moon, said they were equally optimistic.
"Lockheed Martin fully supports NASA 's goal of accelerating the landing of humans on the surface of the moon," said the aerospace company in a statement issued after the launch. announcement of Pence, according to Space News. "With the right level of commitment, urgency and resources, humans could walk to the surface by 2024."
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, an industrial group made up of several NASA contractors, was more cautious in its response.
"While we support the White House's focus on deep space exploration and the sense of urgency generated by ambitious timelines and goals, we are also aware of resources that will be needed to achieve these goals, "said the group in a statement. "Bold plans must be accompanied by bold resources made available in a consistent manner to ensure successful execution."
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