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NASA Moon Launch May Be Delayed After 2020

Posted by timothy on from the underpromise-vs.-underdeliver dept.

krou writes "The Guardian is reporting that NASA is quietly revising its internal estimates of a 2018 launch for its Ares V rocket. Although publicly the date given for the launch was 2020, the internal launch date was set for 2018. The shift in dates seems to be linked to 'growing budget woes,' and 'engineers say that means the public 2020 date to send humans back to the moon is in deepening trouble.' NASA administrator Mike Griffin blamed the White House, and the previous Bush administration, saying funding for Ares V and other projects fell from $4bn through 2015 to just $500m. 'This was to be allocated to early work on the Ares V heavy-lifter, and the Altair lunar lander. With only a half-billion dollars now available, this work cannot be done.'"

7 of 261 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm. by Sillygates · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe, this time, we will make it to the moon!

    --
    I fear the Y2038 bug
    1. Re:Hmm. by nschubach · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm still trying to figure out how and where they are launching the Moon... ;)

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
  2. May I be the first to say by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nasa_embarks_on_epic_delay

    That's what NASA does.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:May I be the first to say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought you were going to say something like:

      "The answer to your question? Hindsight is 2020. The moon launch is 2023."

  3. I call bullshit by Seriousity · · Score: 5, Funny

    NASA administrator Mike Griffin blamed the White House, and the previous Bush administration, saying funding for Ares V and other projects fell from $4bn through 2015 to just $500m.

    Okay, the cost of the entire Apollo program was $25.4 billion dollars. That's 25,400,000,000 1969 dollars - about $135 billion in today's dollars. So why is it so much cheaper this time around?

    I put it down to the fact that technology has advanced quite a lot since 1969* - The film industry in particular, if you're making a movie there's a heck of a lot more you can do with that kind of money than you could have in 1969.
    -
    *Disclaimer: All sly remarks on the redundancy of this sentence being used on slashdot are hereby inherently redundant.

    --
    This post was made in complete sincere seriousity; as such any attempts to derive humour are doomed to instant failure.
  4. Shhhhh!! Don't tell anyone, but... by rts008 · · Score: 4, Funny

    From a secret launch site in the Florida Everglades, with a really big trebuchet. They are rounding up alligators as we speak, to fill the counterweight basket. It's gonna take a lot of gators!

    --
    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  5. Time by lord_sarpedon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Look, guys. Got to face this sometime.

    America just isn't as young as it used to be.

    Forty years ago? Sure. We could get a rocket up, in little time at all. And though we'll certainly never forget that first time - we were ready to go again just a few short years later.

    But face the facts, people. The country isn't a spry 193 anymore. Let's just have hope that NASA is trying its best, Although its worrisome that the launch date doesn't seem very firm, just keep in mind - nothing would be worse than a premature launch.

    We don't intend to disappoint.

    --
    "Strangers have the best candy" -Me