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www.politico.com

At least 2,145 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave under a push to shed staff, according to documents obtained by POLITICO — potentially spelling trouble for White House space policy and depriving the agency of decades of experience.

Handing the next century of space exploration to China, who is planning a sample return mission to Mars by 2028, land on the Moon by 2030, and construct a moon base by 2035. xi-lib-tears

  • IHave69XiBucks@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    17·
    3 days ago

    For real. At this rate America won’t even get it’s little lunar orbital in place on schedule meanwhile China is gonna be building a base. It’s kinda pathetic.

    • someone [comrade/them, they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      Oh, Lunar Gateway is an even stupider project than that. It was only proposed because the SLS rocket that was planned to launch Orion capsules is too underpowered to put the overweight Orion capsules into lunar orbit. SLS can either launch flyby missions, or it can put Orion into that wacky halo orbit to dock with Gateway so crew can transfer to the Starship-derived lander.

      SLS can’t be made for higher performance because it was specifically planned to reuse space shuttle components. And that reuse was planned because it reduces R&D expenses for the defence contractors involved in the project - particularly Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

      • IHave69XiBucks@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
        2·
        3 days ago

        It’s going to be a running theme of the next few decades i feel. Americans failing to compete because they are too corrupt, and profit focused to be viable. Wonder how long it’ll be before America has to beg China to save some stranded American astronaut who got sent halfway to the moon in a SpaceX Starship, and the thing just failed.