"NASA's hard-won reputation for extreme competence is why Artemis, the agency's troubled and long-delayed program to return astronauts to the moon, has been so dismaying-and why everyone is eager to see if the new NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, can right the ship."
"The stated goal of Artemis is to develop a permanent presence near the lunar south pole, which is believed to be abundant in resources such as water ice in shadowed craters. The first country to land there will be able to grab the best sites for long-term operations. And that country might be China."
"In that dire moment-when an oxygen tank exploded as Apollo 13 flew toward the moon-the astronauts and their colleagues at Mission Control remained calm, informative, direct. No one panicked. Through a triumph of aerospace improvisation, Apollo 13 became known at NASA as a 'successful failure.'"
NASA's cultural identity centers on calm, competent problem-solving, exemplified by the Apollo 13 crisis when astronauts and Mission Control responded to an oxygen tank explosion with direct communication and innovative solutions. This reputation for extreme competence makes the troubled Artemis program particularly concerning, as it aims to establish a permanent presence near the lunar south pole where water ice and other resources exist. The first country to successfully land at these resource-rich sites will secure advantageous positions for long-term lunar operations. China has announced plans to land its taikonauts on the moon, creating international competition. New NASA administrator Jared Isaacman faces pressure to address the program's significant delays and restore confidence in the agency's ability to execute this ambitious mission.
Read at Slate Magazine
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