NASA's New Moon Mission: Orion Capsule Tests

0:00In Adelaide, it's February 28th, here's what is happening. NASA is shaking up its Artemis program with a new spacecraft docking test before the first crude moon landing in over 50 years. The agency plans an extra mission in 2027, right here in Earth's orbit, where the Orion capsule will link up with lunar landers from. SpaceX and Blue Origin. This comes as part of a big overhaul announced by NASA Chief Jared Isaacman to cut delays and speed things up. The changes also scrap plans to upgrade the space launch system rocket, shifting focus instead to boosting its production for at least one launch A year. That means canceling a $2 billion Boeing contract for a more powerful upper stage. The goal is yearly moon missions, up from the car pace of one every two or three years. Contractors are on board with the plan. Boeing says his team and supply chain can ramp up production, while Lockheed Martin praised the move. Isaacman stressed, this is the best path to hit lunar landing targets on time,

1:00especially with safety experts pushing for more tests. All this ramps up amid pressure from China, which eyes its own crude moon landing by 2030. NASA's first crude landing, now Artemis 4, slips to 2028 to allow extra practice. Meanwhile, Artemis 2 is up next with a four astronaut crew flying around the moon and back. It's set for an April launch after fixes for hydrogen leak and upper-stage issues during recent rehearsals. Special thanks to our sponsor for supporting this episode. A pillow that sounds as good as it feels. Bill for listening in bed, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.