Private companies plan to launch 70 missions to the Moon in the next decade
The “mega Moon rocket” is not quite ready for opening night. After NASA’s third attempt to rehearse the fueling of the Space Launch System (SLS) failed due to leaking hydrogen, the space agency will roll the rocket back to its hangar in order to assess the situation and replace broken components.
The decision means the delay of the first Artemis mission, which was expected to use the SLS to launch an uncrewed Orion space capsule to the Moon this summer, and will push back subsequent missions that will see American astronauts orbit the Moon and then, perhaps in 2026, set foot on the regolith again.
NASA’s reach has consistently exceeded its grasp when it comes to lunar exploration in the 21st century, as a parade of irate auditors and confused lawmakers can attest. But analysts, entrepreneurs, and investors remain bullish about business opportunities on and around Earth’s largest satellite.
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