NASA administrator¹ Jim Bridenstine announced at a congressional testimony² on Tuesday a plan to put human to Mars by 2033 and would request more money to fund the ambitious plan.

 

美国宇航局局长吉姆·布里登斯廷周二在国会证言中宣布，计划2033年前将人类送上火星，他要求更多的钱来支持这个宏大的计划。
 

 

It came after NASA's new schedule to land American astronauts on the Moon by 2024, four years ahead of its previous schedule, an aggressive plan U.S. Vice³ President Mike Pence called a "stated policy of this administration," but American lawmakers worried NASA couldn't meet the deadline.

 

Pence urged NASA last week to return American astronauts to the Moon within five years, warning that if NASA cannot do it, it is NASA, not the mission, that must change.

 

Bridenstine cited at the congressional hearing on NASA's budget in fiscal⁴ year 2020 the goal of putting astronauts on Mars by 2033 as a reason why NASA need to accelerate the Moon landing plan.

 

The NASA chief said so in response to U.S. congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's question why the country needs a "crash program for the Moon."

 

"The Moon is the proving ground," said Bridenstine. "We can move up the Mars landing by moving up the Moon landing."

 

However, NASA's delayed development of its new heavy-lift rocket the Space Launch System (SLS) may mean additional difficulties for realizing these goals on time.

 

Also, SLS's replacement⁵ options or buying commercial rockets like Delta⁶ IV heavy rockets and Space X's Falcon⁷ Heavy are now technically⁸ challenged in terms of thrust capability⁹, launchpad availability and docking ability, according to Bridenstine when addressing a town hall meeting on Monday.

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