Artemis Moon Landing 2024: NASA's Kathy Lueders on Target & Team
Kathy Lueders, NASA’s associate administrator for human spaceflight, participated in a discussion at TechCrunch Sessions: Space. She spoke with scientist and Netflix presenter Emily Calandrelli regarding her responsibilities at the agency, including updates on the Artemis program and the planned return of American astronauts to the moon’s surface.
NASA has frequently stated a 2024 objective for the first Artemis moon landing. This timeline has been consistently mentioned by current NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who will conclude his leadership position in January with the incoming Biden administration. However, this timeframe has prompted skepticism from many external parties, particularly considering the challenges presented by stay-at-home directives and remote work policies implemented by NASA as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With Commercial Crew, my initial aim was 2017,” Lueders explained. “We didn’t achieve flight in 2017, despite significant effort. Maintaining that 2017 goal didn’t lead to compromised decisions; I continued to carefully evaluate and make necessary choices. Ultimately, we launched in 2020—in fact, the mission occurred in 2019, which would have been our original 2017 target. There’s considerable focus on 2024, as it represents a crucial objective for us. Nevertheless, we will proceed cautiously, keeping the public informed of our advancements, as we have with all other programs. We will launch only when we are fully prepared, possessing the required mission capabilities to ensure a safe and successful flight.”
Lueders also responded to an inquiry concerning diversity, specifically racial diversity within the agency, and its significance to NASA. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as the associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, overseeing all human spaceflight endeavors across the agency.
“It’s important for individuals to recognize themselves in our work, because this endeavor is no longer solely about NASA,” she stated. “It’s about enabling everyone to participate and contribute. A particularly impactful moment for me was receiving a letter from a nine-year-old girl in India shortly after my appointment. She wrote, ‘Because of your position, I believe I could become a NASA administrator someday.’ The diversity within the Artemis crew is a reflection of this, and we want to inspire others to see themselves in these roles.”
Lueders further discussed the diversity represented in the recently announced NASA Artemis astronaut class and the possibilities regarding which individuals from this group might be chosen to participate in the inaugural lunar landing for Artemis.
“I find it quite possible that two women could be selected,” she commented. “Our priority is to choose the most qualified candidates.”