NASA has stated that the space agency might lag behind China in returning to Moon.
If NASA continues to receive the current level of funding then they will be able to return to the Moon in 2019.
If they receive a few billion more then they can send astronauts to Moon as early as 2017.
On the other hand China can put a man on Moon in less than a decade.
NASA has stated that China’s space program has roughly the same capabilities as the USA’s Gemini program, which flew four years before NASA landed on the moon in 1969.
Till now the scenario and the cut in the budgets of NASA mean that they will not be able to return to Moon by 2020. This time we can have a new leader…!
Via: usatoday
Comments
Lets see. China by 2017, NASA by 2019 (more like 2020) and the American private sector (which is kicking butt!) by 2012. ;-)
http://www.colonyworlds.com/2007/02/can-bigelow-aerospace-bring-us-to-stars.html
NASA is thinking of partnering up with many of these upstarts (this one Bigelow, others include SpaceX and any winners from the X-Prize Cup).
It’s known as ”alt.space” in the states, and NASA is looking over its shoulder with nervous eyes (as they are catching up!)