– why it is so difficult to send humans back to the moon compared to the Apollo missions from 1969-1972 that first landed astronauts on the lunar surface.
– A key reason is funding – the Apollo program received around 5% of the entire federal budget at its peak, whereas today NASA receives less than half a percent of the budget. The Artemis program aiming to return astronauts to the moon has spent around $90 billion so far compared to over $260 billion adjusted for inflation for the entire Apollo program.
– Political will and public support is also not as strong today. In the 1960s, the space race with the Soviet Union generated significant enthusiasm, but interest declined after the moon landings were achieved. There is less willingness now to spend huge amounts on moon missions.
– NASA had to make decisions after the Space Shuttle program to reuse much of its infrastructure for Artemis, which impacts current timelines and costs. Risk tolerance is also much lower today than for Apollo.
– The Artemis goals of establishing a long-term lunar presence require more complex missions than Apollo’s brief surface visits, adding to the challenges of sending humans safely back to the moon.
Source: space
