WASHINGTON, August 10. /TASS/. A lunar landing in 2024 is not feasible given the delays in spacesuit development, says a report by NASA Inspector General Paul Martin on Tuesday.
"Given these anticipated delays in spacesuit development, a lunar landing in late 2024 as NASA currently plans is not feasible," the report said.
"NASA’s current schedule is to produce the first two flight-ready xEMUs by November 2024, but the Agency faces significant challenges in meeting this goal. This schedule includes approximately a 20-month delay in delivery for the planned design, verification, and testing suit, two qualification suits, an ISS Demo suit, and two lunar flight suits. These delays — attributable to funding shortfalls, COVID-19 impacts, and technical challenges — have left no schedule margin for delivery of the two flight-ready xEMUs," Paul Martin said.
"Given the integration requirements, the suits would not be ready for flight until April 2025 at the earliest. Moreover, by the time two flight-ready xEMUs are available, NASA will have spent over a billion dollars on the development and assembly of its next-generation spacesuits," the report went on to say.
However, this is not the only factor impacting the return-to-the-Moon timetable, Paul Martin stressed. "For example, our previous audit work identified significant delays in other major programs essential to a lunar landing, including the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule. Moreover, delays related to lunar lander development and the recently decided lander contract award bid protests will also preclude a 2024 landing," said the report.