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NSS Position Paper: The Artemis Moon Program

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Nov 25, 2019 • 5 min read

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by National Space Society | Nov 24, 2019 | National Space Society, Space Policy | 6 comments

A new NSS Position Paper just released is reproduced in full below. We also have a PDF copy.

The NASA Artemis Moon program aims to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024, a goal that the National Space Society (NSS) applauds. Due to recent efforts to cancel or reduce some of the best aspects of Artemis, NSS has decided to specifically endorse the following:

Human Lunar Lander Commercial Contracting

Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

Role of the Gateway

Sustainable Lunar Economy

Tipping Point Grants

NSS also endorses “Tipping Point” grants[1] in general and calls attention to the following Moon-related actions by NASA:

NSS looks forward to these and other Tipping Point grants becoming the core of a program of lunar exploration and development that leads eventually to lunar bases and finally settlements, rather than another unsustainable “flags-and-footprints” Apollo-like program.

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[1] The public-private partnerships established through Tipping Point selections combine NASA resources with an industry contribution of at least 25% of the program costs, shepherding the development of critical space technologies while also saving the agency, and American taxpayers, money. See https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/solicitations/tipping_points

Excellent! Proud to be an NSS member. Hope this is received well where it matters.

Strongly support NSS position paper on the Artemis Program… the inclusion of commercial assets to the NASA efforts is vital to the expansion and the future of humanity’s drive into space.

The lunar gateway is an international project which is supported by many countries – including my country, Canada. As an NSS member I take exception to the fact that NSS supports NASA’s effort to put the gateway on the backburner and get behind U.S. companies who plan to build lunar landers. As an international organization, NSS should look beyond the borders of the U.S. and not just focus on NASA’s lunar efforts. BTW: Canada was among the first countries to throw its support behind the lunar gateway..and NASA came to Canada seeking its support

YES, Back to the Moon to Stay and onto Mars and Beyond-Ad Astra… The return to the Moon at the Lunar South Pole can jump start the Lunar Economy by recovering Lunar Water Ice ! Once the US and others return to the Moon a Lunar Base can be maintained and less than one hundred tonnes of Lunar Water Ice is needed for a start. Then Robert Zubrin’s LEV can make trips from LEO to the LS and refuel at the Lunar Base for the return trip to LEO. The LEV can handle a Crew of four (4) Lunar Workers for the three and a half day trip to the LS… And the LEV can also support the Passenger Transport Module of the NASA designed “24-Hour Lunar Shuttle” (LEO to a Polar LLO) ! Also the LEV can explore to 45 deg. of Latitude (25% of the Moon) and return to the Lunar Polar Base. And the Lunar Base can teach NASA and others to Live off of the Land ! Eyes UP and lights down… tjl tjlipin T. Lipinski

Thank you, Peter, for supporting an international effort in returning to the moon.

Gateway was a political gambit to get POTUS to commit to some kind of Moon return program.
He wanted something NASA knew it could do and do in 8 years. So, they promised only something they had done before, a space station. It can be justified only by facilitating landings at many points on the Moon for exploration, rather than a focus on where the first base is. However, in a room of 55 AIAA members, not one raised their hand to support the idea of doing Gateway rather than a landing. NASA is hedging its bets. NSS should shift its attention to getting past the Democratic Party’s tendency to think that the money is better spent on Earth by offering an exciting vision of the future in space, a new Age of Discovery, supported by some leading Democrats in Congress. Avoid Presidential candidates since a pro space position will be attacked by opponents in the primaries. Wait until they know who is running against Trump and try to get them to avoid attacking his support for space activity. We just want to help them attack the specifics of his way of advancing the cause with shortsighted thinking and arbitrary politically motivated deadlines. If they just attack Gateway as a silly way to get back to the Moon, we lose nothing when they cancel the program-as long as they just shift resources to building a lunar base. Shifting it to fund social equity programs would be laudible, but just a drop in the bucket of the spending required by such programs and that kind of funding shift is what would be would be a setback for us.

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