The bottom line is, an $11 billion budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away. We need to look outside the box to find a way ahead that is both affordable and returns samples in a reasonable timeframe. In other words, clear the decks and start over - with commercial providers on board from the get-go.
NASA soon will solicit architecture proposals from industry that could return samples in the 2030s, and lowers cost, risk, and mission complexity.
A company like Intuitive Machines, riding high after accomplishing the first private lunar landing, will almost certainly be firing on all cylinders to take on what could be a multi-billion-dollar contract.
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