When the first Trump administration announced a pledge to reestablish America’s human presence on the Moon, the goal was to create a permanent base on the lunar surface, which could be used to help facilitate missions to Mars.
In 2019, the cost estimate for the program – dubbed Project Artemis – was suggested by NASA to be between $20 and $30 billion. And while that’s a big number, it actually pales in comparison to the revised figure that came two years later when the agency’s Office of Inspector General suggested the true cost would be $93 billion – and that was just through 2025.
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Speaking of 2025, here we are – and the updates taking place over the past few weeks don’t seem to bode well for Project Artemis.
A new report from Bloomberg says the program may be “poised for a shakeup” and they are looking at recent comments from Boeing to support that theory.
Boeing revealed that it was looking to reduce staffing on its Space Launch System (or, SLS) team by 400 in the next few months, which amounts to more than a third of the staff assigned to this effort. They say it’s “to align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations.”
And there’s a lot to unpack there. From a cost perspective, the SLS rocket alone is expected to cost nearly $24 billion through year-end and test and development delays mean that the original timeline has been blown.
In 2022, the SLS Artemis I sent an uncrewed flight around the Moon, and a crewed launch of Artemis II is expected for April 2026 and a lunar landing for 2027 – a far cry from the pledge ex-NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine made in 2019 that Artemis was going to the Moon in 2024, “whatever that takes."
The other major factor is SpaceX founder – and Boeing space race competitor – Elon Musk and his influence on the Trump administration. Late last year, Musk called the Artemis architecture “extremely inefficient,” adding that “something entirely new is needed.”
Will President Trump defend Boeing’s role in helping Americans reach the lunar surface, or has he moved on?
Skeptics point to the commander-in-chief’s comments during his inauguration speech, where he mentioned planting “the stars and stripes on the planet Mars” – leaving the Moon out of it entirely.
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00:00.079 --> 00:05.239
When the first Trump administration announced a
pledge to reestablish America's human presence
00:05.239 --> 00:09.520
on the moon, the goal was to create a permanent
base on the lunar surface,
00:09.560 --> 00:12.560
which could be used to help facilitate missions
to Mars.
00:12.680 --> 00:18.319
In 2019, the cost estimate for the program,
dubbed Project Artemis was suggested by NASA to
00:18.319 --> 00:21.879
be between 20 and $30 billion.
And while that's a big number,
00:22.040 --> 00:26.639
it actually pales in comparison to the revised
figure that came two years later when the
00:26.639 --> 00:28.639
agency's Office of Inspector General.
00:29.510 --> 00:34.060
suggested the true cost would be $93 billion
and that was just through 2025.
00:34.310 --> 00:36.889
Speaking of 2025, here we are.
00:37.150 --> 00:41.189
And the updates taking place over the past few
weeks don't seem to bode well for Project
00:41.189 --> 00:44.029
Artemis.
A new report from Bloomberg says the program
00:44.029 --> 00:48.509
may be poised for a shake-up, and they're
looking at recent comments from Boeing to
00:48.509 --> 00:51.750
support that theory.
Boeing revealed that it was looking to Reduce
00:51.750 --> 00:57.270
staffing on its space launch system or SLS team
by 400 in the next few months,
00:57.310 --> 01:00.500
which amounts to more than a third of the staff
assigned to this effort.
01:00.669 --> 01:05.620
They say it's to align with revisions to the
Artemis program and cost expectations,
01:05.830 --> 01:08.330
and there's a lot to unpack here.
From a cost perspective,
01:08.349 --> 01:13.269
the SLS rocket alone is expected to cost nearly
24 billion through year end.
01:13.559 --> 01:17.300
And test and development delays mean that the
original timeline has been blown.
01:17.510 --> 01:22.190
In 2022, the SLS Artemis I sent an uncrewed
flight around the moon,
01:22.269 --> 01:28.419
and a crude launch of Artemis Two is expected
for April 2026 and a lunar landing for 2027,
01:28.470 --> 01:33.120
a far cry from the pledge ex-NASA administrator
Jim Brienstein made in 2019.
01:33.529 --> 01:38.080
That Artemis was going to the moon in 2024,
quote, Whatever that takes.
01:38.199 --> 01:43.519
The other major factor is SpaceX founder and
Boeing Space Race competitor Elon Musk and his
01:43.519 --> 01:44.989
influence on the Trump administration.
01:45.239 --> 01:49.330
Late last year, Musk called the Artemis
architecture extremely inefficient.
01:49.699 --> 01:54.169
Adding that something entirely new is needed.
Will President Trump defend Boeing's role in
01:54.169 --> 01:57.639
helping Americans reach the lunar surface, or
has he moved on?
01:57.849 --> 02:02.089
Skeptics point to the commander in chief's
comments during his inauguration speech where
02:02.089 --> 02:05.680
he mentioned planting the stars and stripes on
the planet Mars,
02:06.250 --> 02:08.199
leaving the moon out of it entirely.
02:08.850 --> 02:10.630
I'm Anna Wells and this is manufacturing now.
