US to return to the moon for first time in 50 years but this time there’s a big difference
- It’s 50 years since the last Apollo mission
- The US is set to return to the moon in January
- It will be the first time a private company touches down on the lunar surface
Published on Dec 01, 2023 at 4:53 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 2:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
50 years after the last Apollo mission, the US will return to the moon on 25 January 2024.
The United States will try to land a craft on the Moon next month according to the company behind the venture.
American company, Astrobotic, will be the first private company to successfully touch down on the lunar surface.
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CEO, John Thornton, explained that the aim is to carry NASA instruments to study the lunar environment.
This is in anticipation of NASA’s manned missions, named Artemis.
However, despite a lot of people being desperate to get to the moon – there’s a twist.
This time unlike the last, the lander named Peregrine will have nobody aboard.
A program called CLPS, started several years ago, seeing NASA commissioning US companies.
These organisations would be tasked with sending technologies to the lunar surface to conduct scientific experiments.
It’s hoped that these fixed-price contracts could enable a lunar economy via a new lower-cost transport service.
From there, it’s hoped NASA can establish a base on the moon.
Thornton made a statement on the mission at a press briefing in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, 29 November.
“One of the big challenges of what we’re attempting here is attempting a launch and landing on the surface Moon for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost,” he said.
“Only about half of the missions that have gone to the surface of the Moon have been successful.
“So it’s certainly a daunting challenge. I’m going to be terrified and thrilled all at once at every stage of this.”
The rocket from the ULA industrial group has been named Vulcan Centaur.
Vulcan Centaur’s inaugural flight is scheduled to take off on 24 December from Florida.
We will have to wait with baited breath for “a few days” for the probe to get into lunar orbit.
However, the landing attempt will be further down the line still.
Thornton explained that this is to ensure light conditions at the target location are right.
The probe’s descent will happen without human intervention, but will be monitored.
Japanese and Israeli private companies have both made unsuccessful attempts to land on the moon over the past few years.
Only the US, Russia, China and India have ever been successful.
In fact, India shared footage of their lunar rover ‘playfully frolicking’ on the moon’s south pole recently.
Other companies that have signed NASA contracts include Firefly Aerospace, Draper and Intuitive Machines.
The latter is due to take off aboard a SpaceX rocket in January following a recent unsuccessful launch.
“NASA leadership is aware of the risks and has accepted that some of these missions might not succeed,” said Chris Culbert, CLPS program manager.
“But even if every landing isn’t successful, CLPS already had an impact on the commercial infrastructure needed to establish a lunar economy.”
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
