NASA fired one of the leaders of the lunar program

Deputy Head of the NASA Aerospace Agencyon the development of lunar projects, Mark Sirangelo, appointed to this position just a few weeks ago (in April), was dismissed and is currently doing business, the press service of the head of department reports with reference to the statement by NASA director Jim Brydenstein.

According to Brydenstein himself, the US CongressHe refused to approve the proposal of the aerospace agency on the reorganization of the American space agency in order to create in it a special unit that was engaged in the preparation of expeditions to the moon. As the head of NASA pointed out, this was one of the reasons for Sirangelo’s dismissal, since the agency no longer needs his services.

"Inside the Directorate of Developmentouter space by man and manned space flights by NASA are currently undergoing organizational changes that will maximize the effectiveness of man and woman crew training for landing on the lunar surface in 2024. Considering that the aerospace agency does not need the creation of a special unit for managing lunar programs, Mark Sirangelo decided to look for other opportunities, ”commented Bridenstein.

Moon 2024

In turn, the development of the lunar program NASA"Artemis" continues. Most recently, US President Donald Trump announced that the agency for the exploration of the Moon and Mars will be allocated additional funding of 1.6 billion dollars. According to current plans, the United States intends to land on the moon in 2024, and on Mars in the mid-2030s.

The other day NASA chose the first contractor forconstruction of the near-moon space station Deep Space Gateway. Space technology company Maxar Technologies will receive a grant from the agency in the amount of $ 375 million to create a power plant and communications equipment for the mobile command and service module.

Maxar Technologies will develop the installationrepresenting a jet ship with a power of 50 kW and working on solar energy. According to the stated contract, within 12 months the company undertakes to complete the design of the spacecraft. Over the next 26 months, the company must build a module. NASA hopes to send a force element to the Moon’s orbit at the end of 2022. During the year after this launch, there will be demonstration flights of the ship, which all this time will be owned by Maxar Technologies. After this period, NASA will be able to purchase it for use as the first element of the station.

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