NASA’s delayed lunar lander contracts cast doubt on Artemis timeline

The setback is not a shock. Congress only gave NASA’s Human Landing System project $ 850 million in its latest spending bill against the $ 3.2 billion it deemed necessary for the planned landing on Moon 2024. It doesn’t help that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine left when President Biden took office, leaving his deputy Steve Jurczyk in his place. The organization just does not have the resources or the direction it expected.

As such, the chances of NASA meeting its Artemis 2024 target are all the more slim. It also avoids any possible shift in priorities at NASA under the Biden administration. The new White House has focused much of its energy on immediate crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. He may be reluctant to devote much (if any) attention to a moon landing until the country is in better shape.