Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Moon to Mars?
Image credit: NASA

A Reason Foundation study calls for shifting the Artemis program to the commercial space industry, canceling unnecessary NASA programs related to the Artemis Space Launch System (SLS), Orion, Exploration Upper Stage, the Mobile Launch Platform-2, and the cis-lunar Gateway project.

In its place, argues the Reason Foundation report, use the public-private partnerships that are transporting cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station to build a much stronger lunar capability.

Space Launch System (SLS) Credit: NASA/MSFC

Private sector

“I believe it would be better for NASA and Congress to transition to the private sector immediately, rather than after two more SLS launches, because it would only add costs, extend delays and problems, and make crewed lunar missions too expensive and infrequent,” the author of the insightful report, Rand Simberg, told Inside Outer Space.

The Reason Foundation published the nearly 50-page study “Why commercial space should lead the U.S. return to the Moon” at:

https://reason.org/policy-study/commercial-space-should-lead-us-return-to-moon/