We've reached another "will they or won't they?" cliffhanger in the long-running soap opera, When Will Humans Return to the Moon?
Last May, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine promised that a crew would be landing there by 2028. "To many, this may sound similar to our previous attempts to get to the Moon," he admitted. "However, times have changed. This will not be Lucy and the football again."
A month ago, Vice President Pence added a big plot twist, now declaring that "it is the stated policy of this administration and the United States of America to return American astronauts to the Moon within the next five years." A return to the Moon by 2024? Despite the bold rhetoric, it's a weak "maybe" at best.
Unofficial sources estimate that fulfilling Pence's goal will cost around $40 billion over the next five years — which is to say, twice as much as ...
