NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy has pointed out that astronauts under the Artemis lunar program will return to the moon “to stay this time” and prepare for future Martian trips, Government Matters reported Sunday.
She explained that a 20-year approach to land on Mars is currently in the works with support from an aligned acquisition strategy and the Biden administration’s fiscal 2022 proposed budget.
Karla Smith Jackson, a senior procurement executive and deputy chief information officer at NASA, added at the same online program that the agency is also working with its commercial partners to make Artemis-related payments and lower costs through data rights deals and other innovative methods.
She added that the agency is also looking to use the lunar effort to help commercialize the space economy.
In preparation for the first Artemis lunar trip, NASA will test launch the one-use, super heavy-lift Space Launch Vehicle by the end of 2022, shared Jackson.