NASA plans to have crew on the moon by 2028

Lately, NASA has been keeping us abreast of its future visits to the moon. According to the space agency, there are plans to begin testing the new spacecraft by 2024; but not only that: it wants to have a crew on the surface by 2028.

How to land astronauts on the moon?

This question is valid and the space agency has been thinking about it, so much so that it is inviting private companies to come up with ideas on how to do so. Technologies need to be developed to be used on natural satellites and somehow to find better ways to transfer people and items there.

Not long ago, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gave a statement of how the agency has been dealing with partnerships - either with industry or with other nations - to explore the moon and expand destinations to Mars. It is noteworthy that the goal is to send astronauts to the moon's surface sustainably in the next decade.

The current plan has four main steps, and NASA needs a manned launch vehicle to get astronauts back to the moon. A very clever way is to send humans to the International Space Station (ISS), a project being studied by private companies. It would be perfect if there were no obstacles, because to get from ISS to the Moon, it takes a lot of technology and study.

There is also research to get men into space through the Space Launch System (SLS), which is scheduled for December this year. The news revolves around the fact that NASA will not leave astronauts directly on the surface of the moon; The plans are to build a new space station to replace the ISS, called Deep Space Gateway, an automated spacecraft orbiting the moon.

Going to the moon and back is not an easy mission, as it is intended to use a reusable lander, which is also being studied, after all you need to think about fuel. NASA's goal is to use technology to produce supplies directly from lunar soil.

Next steps

Not only has the space agency been studying, it has also published a formal request for proposals, and responses are expected to be delivered by March 25. These include technology maturation, systems development and integration, and human spaceflight demonstrations.

We will keep an eye on NASA's association with industry and hope that by 2028 man will return to the moon.