As the next administration takes shape, countless voices are vying for influence over the future of America’s space program. I’d wager one in particular — someone apparently very close to the President-elect — might be suggesting a bold new direction: “Sir. Forget racing China to the moon,” Elon Musk may be saying. “We’re almost ready with Starship. Announce we’ll launch humans to Mars by 2029 — the Apollo anniversary. You’ll go down in history! You’ll be as big as Kennedy!”
If I had that access, it’s exactly what I’d be saying.
Think about it. SpaceX is making remarkable progress on Starship. If they can overcome FAA regulatory hurdles, they could have a revolutionary, reusable Earth-to-space system operational within a year. The next step, in-orbit refueling, could take another year or two to master. By 2028, Starship could be ready for missions to the moon, Mars, or beyond. Right behind it will be Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin with New Glenn.
Meanwhile, the bloated $30-plus billion Space Launch System (SLS) can barely reach lunar orbit, let alone support a landing on its own, even as it drains NASA’s coffers. In the age of reusable rocket ships, its Orion capsule is obsolete, and the Gateway Lunar Station is, well, no one really knows what it’s for. Together, these money-sucking deadline-busting programs are sabotaging projects all over the agency while perpetuating the fantasy that they’ll someday support a mission to Mars — even as they hand the moon to China. Musk is heading there anyway, with or without the backing of the United States government. So why keep sinking money into a dead end? It’s time to cut our losses. The SLS? Canceled. The Orion capsule? Canceled. The Gateway program? Canceled.” No half-measures. It’s like a bad marriage: better to pay the cancellation fees and move on.
Ironically, Artemis — NASA’s moon program — is arguably more complex than a Starship mission to Mars. Yes, going…
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