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Top NASA manager casts doubt on 2024 moon landing plans

According to Bowersox, "that aggressive goal" itself was a good thing, but, in order to meet the deadline, the agency will have to solve lots of technical and financial problems

© Yury Smityuk/TASS

WASHINGTON, September 19. /TASS/. Kenneth Bowersox, NASA’s acting associate administrator for human exploration and operations, expressed doubts about plans to land US astronauts on the Moon by 2024, The Washington Post reported.

During congressional hearings on Wednesday, the official said NASA would do its best to meet the deadline set by the White House. "I wouldn’t bet my oldest child’s upcoming birthday present or anything like that," he added.

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Russian space chief congratulates NASA head on 50th anniversary of moon landing

According to Bowersox, "that aggressive goal" itself was a good thing, but, in order to meet the deadline, the agency will have to solve lots of technical and financial problems.

"What’s important is that we launch when we’re ready, that we have a successful mission when it launches, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that just arbitrarily we’re going to make it," he said. "There’s a lot of risk in making the date, but we want to try to do it."

This spring, NASA announced that its new lunar program will be named Artemis and will consist of three stages. The first mission, Artemis 1, is due in the second half of 2020 and envisages the launch of the Orion spacecraft with no crew on board, which will orbit the Moon and return back to Earth.

During the second stage, Artemis 2, a manned spacecraft will circle the Earth’s natural satellite in 2022. The third stage, Artemis 3, will include a landing on the Moon in 2024.

US President Donald Trump announced in May that he planned to allocate additional $1.6 billion to NASA budget for Moon and Mars exploration programs. The sum will be requested from the Congress in addition to the $21 billion already promised to the US space agency in the 2020 fiscal year, beginning on October 1.

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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West, Kiev indulge in nuclear blackmail by demanding control of ZNPP — Russian MFA

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Iran done with retaliation, calls for efforts to stop Israel from reckless steps — MFA

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Germany moves to exclude Russia from concentration camp liberation celebrations

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian Prosecutor General

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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Ukraine attacks ZNPP training center again, drone neutralized

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Ukrainian nationalists in Mariupol used maternity hospital as their base — Lavrov

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German Foreign Ministry confirms summoning of Russian ambassador

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Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

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Argentina applies for status of NATO’s global partner

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China to act over possible US measures for alleged support of Russian defense sector

"China always opposes the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Liu Pengyu said

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

Russian Railways to triple tourist passenger flow to 3 mln people by 2030

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CEC chairperson hands over presidential credentials to Putin

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Investigation into Crocus terrorist attack underway, traces lead to Ukraine — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted the need to "wait for official information from the investigation"

Ukrainian drone attack damages four houses in Russia’s Voronezh

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Russian artillery thwarts Ukrainian army’s rotation near Kupyansk — underground resistance

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EU plans to invest first profits from Russian assets in military aid to Kiev

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German MFA summons Russian ambassador after detention of espionage suspects — newspaper

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Exports of Chinese goods to Ukraine rise by 50% to $783 mln in January - March

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