{"id":41025,"date":"2026-04-04T15:19:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41025"},"modified":"2026-04-04T15:19:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:19:45","slug":"space-boss-rep-teases-plans-to-transform-moon-into-gas-station-for-deep-space-missions-after-artemis-ii-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41025","title":{"rendered":"Space boss rep teases plans to transform moon into &#8216;gas station&#8217; for deep space missions after Artemis II launch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 There are reasons to be over the moon about Artemis II.<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/29\/us-news\/astronauts-excited-for-alone-time-on-space-toilet-during-artemis-iis-trip-around-the-moon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long-awaited return to Earth\u2019s closest neighbor<\/a> with the Artemis II launch on Wednesday is just a first step towards transforming the moon into a <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/29\/science\/nasa-astronaut-mike-fincke-who-prompted-first-space-station-evacuation-reveals-he-couldnt-speak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gateway for deep space exploration<\/a>, a key lawmaker has revealed. <\/p>\n<p>Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, explained that policymakers believe the moon could be a critical refueling spot to take humans further beyond Earth than ever before. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are different types of minerals on the moon, and that might allow us to reduce some of the cost of creating higher energy sources, and in general, we think this could be a gas station to space,\u201d Haridopolos told The Post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rep. Mike Haridopolos said that lawmakers see the US return to the moon as a critical first step for deep space exploration. <span class=\"credit\">Michael Brochstein\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to break out of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. That\u2019s why you need such strong, massive engines,\u201d he added. \u201cOnce you\u2019re out of the atmosphere, then you\u2019ll be a lot easier to propel into deep space.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Artemis II is a 10-day mission that will take humans further into space than ever before and will include a flyby around the moon. It will mark the first time astranauts have gone past Earth\u2019s low orbit since 1972, the last time humans went to the moon.<\/p>\n<p>The mission will ensure the Orion spacecraft\u2019s life support systems are up to snuff. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>NASA is using its SLS rocket for the Artemis II launch Wednesday. <span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then, in 2028, NASA is planning to attempt a crewed moon landing in which humans will set foot there for the first time since 1972. That marks a delay from earlier plans of achieving that feat by next year.<\/p>\n<p>Given the delays and technical snarls that have dogged the very expensive Space Launch System super-heavy lift rocket program and the fact that it isn\u2019t reusable like SpaceX\u2019s Starship, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/opinion\/articles\/2024-10-17\/michael-bloomberg-nasa-s-artemis-moon-mission-is-a-colossal-waste\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some critics have argued that Congress<\/a> should scrap it. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Astronauts will go further into space and faster during the Artemis II mission than the Apollo team did.  <span class=\"credit\">NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt is not an inconsequential cost, so we recognize that,\u201d Haridopolos said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to stick with the SLS until a replacement is ready to put us in the position we need to go around the moon and other potential [worlds].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re always looking for better, cheaper, more efficient engines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Artemis program was set up during the first Trump administration and is intended to establish a base on the moon to lay the foundation for a trip to Mars in the 2030s. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Artemis II is intended to test life support systems aboard the Orion capsule.  <span class=\"credit\">NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI think that again, in a couple of years, you\u2019re going to see astronauts back on the moon trying to establish again, not only that base, but to \u2026 [investigate] the hydrogen waters that they call helium three,\u201d the congressman said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelium three is a derivative that you can get off the moon, and it helps to create nuclear [fusion] and it\u2019s a very expensive product in which to acquire on Earth,\u201d he added. \u201cThere\u2019s so much of this here on the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/01\/us-news\/space-boss-rep-teases-plans-to-transform-moon-into-gas-station-for-deep-space-missions-after-artemis-ii-launch\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 There are reasons to be over the moon about Artemis II. America\u2019s long-awaited return to Earth\u2019s closest neighbor with the Artemis II launch on&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}