Updates Artemis Program Updates & Discussions

[GLS]

Uhh...won't they need Raptors to get back off the moon?

I think "the tower" has thrusters about midway up, for the final descent... maybe they can be used for the whole landing?

 

[Urwumpe]

I still wonder why it has all the rest of the tower below....

Also, I heard that NASA opened the bid again for Artemis 3, because of the delays by SpaceX, so this tweet can also be understood as an attempt to prove by PPT, how ready they are....not.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I think "the tower" has thrusters about midway up, for the final descent... maybe they can be used for the whole landing?

I thought HLS was just supposed to shuttle astronauts between the lunar gateway and the lunar surface? To Bergman's point, why in the world do they need to drag Raptors, tanks, and related structures up and down from lunar orbit when they are only needed to get it to the moon?

What a mess of an architecture. Now they are revising Starship because they realized that their actual mass ratios were insufficient to get the payload needed, so they need it upscale it. 30 months to get Starship and everything else working as needed? LOL.

 

[barrygolden]

Yes Artemis still looks like a dead man walking . Looking back Alpaca looks like the best choice for crew and cargo so remove the crew module and add cargo there. Lunar star ship or Blue Moon would take many launches to refuel them , if you built a new Alpaca each time should be cheaper than trying this refueling thing Alpaca had past it CDR so could have flown 3 years after that Altair could have worked as well just send up a new descent fully fueled and dock with the Crew cabin and just refuel that

 

[barrygolden]

Looks like Sean Duffy has admitted HLS is way behind so looks like he has reopened bids for the Lander

 

[barrygolden]

well I need to correct something Alpaca has only passed it's PDR , Preliminary design review. I do know they were looking at using this for cargo transport as of 6 months ago
Lockheed Martin is also looking again at the LM lander as well..
Blue Origin is also looking at it's Mark one lander to meet the new time line

 

[richfororbit]

Hmm. I imagine this budget decifit going on won't cause too much for the space program.

It isn't looking good for people in the states losing welfare programmes.

 

[Urwumpe]

Hmm. I imagine this budget decifit going on won't cause too much for the space program.

It isn't looking good for people in the states losing welfare programmes.

This time, it also means that employees abroad are at risk of not getting paid. Its the first time, that the German government had to step in during a US shutdown and ensure that the 12000 German employees on US bases are getting paid. Despite a collective bargaining contract that these salaries are not subject to a government shutdown.

Pretty badly organised.

 

[richfororbit]

Oh really.

According to CNN forty two million people could be or will be affected by this program funds ending. According to Trump's view, it is just the democrat's party policies that are being removed.

 

[Urwumpe]

Oh really.

According to CNN forty two million people could be or will be affected by this program funds ending. According to Trump's view, it is just the democrat's party policies that are being removed.

According to Trumps views, everything democratic is just by the democratic party.

And since NASA was created by a democrat (John W. McCormack) ...

 

[richfororbit]

I'm still surprised about the German employees dilemma. How long is that going to be arranged, for weeks?

I wasn't aware about the east wing demolition until it happened. It wasn't done correctly, the whole planning, or it was subverted or influenced in order for it to happen.

I just think that with these fast moving political changes going on, I just find it difficult to think any of the UAP stuff happened, reform in the US is under way, and some subjects don't add up.

 

[Urwumpe]

Lots of off topic and going to the basement direction, so lets keep this on the information level. No need to derail a good thread.

I'm still surprised about the German employees dilemma. How long is that going to be arranged, for weeks?

Again, its not sure. Right now, its a 43 Million Euro budget, so just enough for covering a single month with 12000 employees, or one payment period. Its not usual. Government shutdowns were a relatively recent thing in the US (only being done like that for about 30 years now) and the payment of the German employees on the US bases was never a question.

I wasn't aware about the east wing demolition until it happened. It wasn't done correctly, the whole planning, or it was subverted or influenced in order for it to happen.

If you look at the other plans, that Trump revealed recently, there will also be an oversized victory arc that will be constructed at Memorial Circle, right opposite to the Lincoln Memorial and at the entrance to Arlington Cemetary.

Looks like Trump also got his Germania now.

I just think that with these fast moving political changes going on, I just find it difficult to think any of the UAP stuff happened, reform in the US is under way, and some subjects don't add up.

There are many people around who can now say "We told ya.", but I feel even they were too optimistic.

 

[richfororbit]

I'm aware that this is a NASA topic, but lets be honest, this whole policy may simply be just targeting the Democrat alliance groups to keep the Republican policies ideas going, and it is a eratic that could affect what this forum's subject is all about. This isn't normal politics.

I thought Trump failed back in 2019.

The NASA program is still ongoing, but obviously not completely in full gear. I recall the last shut down was during trump's first term, and for anybody know not there, which is a good few of us on here, we only know because the NASA site isn't updated. And before, the first time I recall back in late 2013 for a short time.

I highly doubt, the government would be crazy to take it all down.

 

[Urwumpe]

Trump is currently working on breaking Reagans record of 8 government shutdowns. He has already beaten Carter, who had accumulated the most days in shutdown before.

And Trump had many of his shutdowns even when the Republicans controlled all houses. That was really a first.

But I think, the worst threat to NASA or any NASA program is the kindergarten fight between Duffy and Musk.

 

[richfororbit]

Hmm, I didn't know this has happened as that far back.

So far the recent outside comet is being monitored by the various institutions, so NASA is still working in some small form.

So far the shut down looks like it will continue into next month. At least decades ago, while NASA was quite important, it didn't have the missions it has today or objective, so it makes a bit more concerning.

 

[GLS]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983921001717997728

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983926856504971268

 

[jedidia]

If renders could get us to the moon, the place would be crowded by now...

 

[Urwumpe]

No rocket flies better than a Powerpoint rocket.

(And what is the sense of having such a large empty volume? Did the graphical artist run out of time and couldn't create more details?)

 

[GLS]

The astronauts in seats reminded me of this

 

[GLS]

NASA’s Orion Space Capsule Is Flaming Garbage​

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2025/10/31/nasas-orion-space-capsule-is-flaming-garbage/

HUGE article/post/paper/whatever listing all the ways NASA helped Lockheed turn Orion into a cash cow.


Interview with the author