"NASA is hard at work preparing for Artemis 2, its first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century, which is scheduled to launch in just four months. The twist? Due to the ongoing government shutdown, a NASA official confirmed to Futurism, agency staff are currently working without pay to make the launch happen - including even the astronauts who are putting their lives on the line for the historic mission, who are currently preparing for it without receiving paychecks."
""I do think we're rapidly approaching the point where it will be a significant impact, and it's more to do with overall infrastructure," Kirk Shireman, a Lockheed Martin VP who oversees the Orion spacecraft program, told Ars. "Fortunately, I work for a large company that's capitalized, and we're going to be fine," Shireman said, referring to Lockheed Martin. "But there are a lot of people, a lot of small companies... They're not getting paid, and ultimately they're not going to be able to continue working.""
Artemis 2, the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, is scheduled to launch in four months. A government shutdown has left many NASA civil servants working without pay, including astronauts preparing for the mission. Contractors on Artemis 2 continue to receive payments for now, but contract funding is funded only into early November and is expected to run out soon. Large defense contractors have capital to sustain work, while many small suppliers face financial strain. Prolonged shutdown risks mission schedule, infrastructure, and the ability of small companies to continue supporting Artemis 2 operations.
Read at Futurism
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