NASA is preparing for a return to the moon as a strategic move to facilitate future planetary exploration and a mission to Mars, according to a Tennessee Tech professor and former NASA researcher.
Tennessee Tech Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Stephen Canfield discussed the agency’s objectives following a successful rocket fueling test. He addressed the logistical necessity of targeting the lunar surface before attempting longer journeys.
“Our purpose for going to the moon right now is that it’s a key stepping stone to planetary exploration,” Canfield said. “Mars in particular, going to Mars. So, you know, the way I look at from NASA’s plan, the moon is, is our stepping stone. It’s a place for us to prepare for longer duration human space flight as well as learn more about, you know, about the moon and the earth. But primarily a build, a stepping stone to go to Mars.”
Canfield said the Artemis program is currently designed as a four-stage operation. He said Artemis 1 was the first unmanned return, while Artemis 2 will be a manned mission that does not land.
“Artemis 3 would be a landing and then Artemis 4 would be the first steps in developing a onsite permanent exploration, a permanent station on the moon for exploration and then expanding to to Mars,” Canfield said. “Assuming that these things go well, I think that that will continue forward.”
The initiative utilizes advancements in materials and computation to establish a development ground for technologies needed to travel farther into space. This platform allows researchers to study resources like water and conduct experiments in microgravity.
“There’s a lot of resources there that we can learn more about,” Canfield said. “But I also think it’s a good development ground for us to develop the technologies to go farther into space and it gives us a platform of science such as microgravity and some other things that we can’t do on earth.”
Canfield said that since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, manned systems have remained in low earth orbit on the International Space Station. He said that while robotic missions gather significant data, sending humans back to a satellite environment brings a different level of public engagement and risk.
“To me it’s very encouraging that we are making that next step,” Canfield said. “This is a step that really needs to be taken if we’re going to continue future manned exploration of space.”
Officials are looking to return to the moon in March following the recent testing.