NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman addressed an overflowing crowd of students, staff, administrators, heads of federal government agencies and a U.S. Congressman in the Howe Hall Atrium Tuesday.
“Artemis II was just the opening act,” Isaacman said. “We are accelerating Artemis III and launching one of the most complex
human space life missions ever attempted just next summer.”
In March, NASA launched a $30 billion plan to build a base on the south pole of the moon in three phases.
“We are not going back for just flags and footprints; we are going back to stay,” Isaacman said.
For humans to reside on the Moon, NASA will need to develop technology and infrastructure for astronauts to survive the lunar night.
The first phase of building the Moon Base focuses on reliably accessing the lunar surface. NASA will accomplish this through robotic exploratory missions into the lunar south pole to acquire information that can guide future technological developments. This includes identifying locations for future infrastructure. Phase one will conclude in 2029.
In phase two, beginning in 2029, NASA will develop infrastructure for long-term moon exploration based on the results of phase one. The infrastructure NASA plans to deploy includes early power systems, cargo transportation, logistics and communication tools.
The final phase, phase three, set to begin in 2032, will establish permanent outposts for astronauts to live and work out of using the infrastructure developed in phase two.
The Moon Base will support the long-term goal of future human missions to Mars.
“By doing the impossible we are going to inspire the world,” Moon Base Project Manager Carlos García-Galán said. “You could say that we’re here to inspire you, but I think it’s safe to say that today you guys have inspired us.”
Iowa State leads the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, supporting STEM research and currently handling 30 active NASA research projects amounting to $14 million in funding.
“As you may have noticed during that brief 53-year intermission between lunar missions, going back is very hard and going back to stay is even harder,” Isaacman said. “We are going to need the best and brightest to help us achieve our near-impossible missions and Iowa State is already preparing so many of you to do exactly that.”
Researchers and students at Iowa State have used satellites to identify crop stress in the Corn Belt, studied how microgravity conditions affect the musculoskeletal system, developed technology for lunar resource utilization through cardinal space mining and designed and flown CubSats.
“What’s really exciting for me here at Iowa State is seeing the vision and then seeing the role our students are going to have,” Iowa State President David Cook said. “It’s really exciting to be on the cusp of something that truly is a moonshot.”
In late 2028, NASA plans to launch the Space Reactor-1 Freedom Mission, the first spacecraft powered by nuclear fission. The spacecraft will deploy the SkyFall Payload looking for potential landing pads on Mars.
“We’ve got three Ingenuity-class helicopters looking for subsurface water ice,” Isaacman said. “Looking for maybe landing pads for the day when American astronauts plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars.”
The mission also seeks to answer the question: are we alone?
“Are we alone in our own solar system, let alone the galaxy around us?” Isaacman said. “This great exploration asset will identify tens of thousands of worlds hiding behind distant stars and help us understand the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter.”
The tool referenced by Isaacman was the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, which launched Aug. 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
In addition to the town hall, Isaacman and leadership from other federal government agencies visited the Ames National Laboratory.
Additional notable speakers included
- Assistant Secretary of Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Dept. of Education Dr. David Barker
- Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Ho Nieh
- U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly
- Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Dept. of Homeland Security Pedro M. Allende
- U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa)
Additional notable attendees included
- Chief of Staff for the DOE Office of Science Emma Quigg
- Deputy Director for Science Programs in the Dept. of Energy Office of Science Dr. Harriet Kung