The US Senate has approved a bill providing for the allocation of an additional $ 10 billion for the development of NASA's flagship Artemis space program. These funds are aimed at expanding the production of Space Launch System (SLS) rockets and completing the construction of the Gateway lunar orbital station.
Of the total amount, about $ 4.1 billion will go towards manufacturing additional SLS rockets for the Artemis 4 and 5 missions, and $ 2.6 billion will go towards completing the Gateway station. NASA Artemis is an ambitious project to return a person to the moon with the prospect of further expeditions to Mars.
SLS rockets are designed as single-use carriers, which causes criticism among representatives of the aerospace industry. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly pointed out the high cost and inefficiency of such rockets. According to NASA, the production of one SLS costs about $ 2.5 billion. In total, about $ 24 billion was spent on the creation of the SLS, and the main contracts were awarded to leading American companies-Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman.
In the process of approving Jared Isaacman's candidacy for the post of head of NASA, he expressed doubts about the budget effectiveness of the project, calling SLS an unsuitable solution for frequent and long-term missions to the Moon and Mars.
The additional funding for the Artemis program reflects the U.S. government's commitment to supporting national aerospace giants and maintaining leadership in space exploration. At the same time, the discussion continues on the future of launch technologies and the rational use of resources in the space industry.
