NASA's Artemis Program Faces Manifest Limitations and Prioritizes Ethics for the Good of Society
NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon, is facing limitations due to a lack of available Space Launch System (SLS) rockets. The agency currently only has enough hardware to launch two more SLS vehicles until the completion of the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) upgrade, which is not expected until late 2028. This means that there could be a four-year gap between the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions. While NASA has the option to buy more Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stages (ICPS) to continue flying the current SLS Block 1 version, the agency has chosen not to do so. The long gaps between missions raise concerns about maintaining proficiency and safety.