INTERVIEW – The head of programs for exploring the solar system at Cnes, the French space agency, is following with interest the development of Elon Musk’s program, the launch of which could revolutionize space. But there is still a long way to go, he warns.
THE FIGARO. – What is the place of Starship in NASA’s Artemis lunar program ?
Franz ROCARD. – The SpaceX ship was selected by NASA in 2019 as the only lunar landing system for its astronauts. Originally, the US space agency was supposed to fund two competing projects for in-depth studies before making a final selection. For budgetary reasons, she preferred to make a single decision that was definitive from the outset. I was very surprised that NASA chose this solution. I didn’t really see the point of funding this new launch vehicle when the agency had their new SLS rocket. But SpaceX asked for half what its competitors did: $2.9 billion, compared to the $93 billion NASA committed to its program through 2025. NASA also judged that SpaceX offered more guarantees in terms of technological maturity since the company was already flying rockets, which was not the case for its…
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