Inverse by Jon Kelvey 7/28/2021
The future of NASA’s Space Launch System is in question after another contract win for SpaceX.
Hidden within the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa, there is an ocean — one which may host some form of life. Exploring this watery world is one of NASA’s top priorities for the next decade. That’s why the agency is pouring so much effort into a mission to explore the moon’s oceans — the Europa Clipper — which will launch in October 2024.
But earlier this month, NASA announced it is altering the mission in one critical way. The Clipper will launch SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket and not atop NASA’s flagship launch vehicle, the Space Launch System.
The decision raises new questions about the future of the Space Launch System, which NASA continues to say is a cornerstone of its Artemis program to return humans to the Moon by 2024. It also tells us a lot about the symbiotic relationship between Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the agency.
By opting for SpaceX to launch the Clipper, NASA is flying in the face of the U.S. Congress, which for ten years insisted the Europa Clipper be borne on NASA’s own SLS rocket before giving NASA the right to choose whether to do it or not in late 2020. Given a choice, NASA chose SpaceX.
The choice seems sensible on the surface. The SLS is behind schedule, and launching the Clipper using a private company may be cheaper and more reliable. NASA is also developing a Human Landing System vehicle that could potentially take humans to the Moon and back without the need for the SLS or the companion Orion spacecraft currently slated to take the Artemis astronauts to the Moon in 2024.
All of which begs the question: Is the Space Launch System essentially dead on arrival? And, if so, is NASA’s landmark science missions dependent on SpaceX?
More:
https://www.inverse.com/science/spacex-nasa-contract-europa
