A question of why did we stop going to the Moon is a valid one, seeing that now we have some of the most advanced technology for building spacecraft and ensuring our people can survive in space for as long as the most complex missions are accomplished. Successful landings of twelve astronauts on the Moon are still considered one of NASA’s most significant accomplishments. The first astronauts to go to the Moon were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collin. Before returning to Earth, they collected rocks, took photographs, performed experiments, and planted flags. On the other hand, why didn’t Apollo program create a permanent human presence there?
How many times did astronauts go to the Moon?
Between 1969 and 1972, there were six manned landings on the Moon, but why can we not go to the Moon now? After all, the six past missions have been successful and returned our astronauts safely. To answer why did we stop going to the Moon, one should first consider the mission budget. Manned missions to go to the lunar surface require huge human resources. This means that we need to find people who are willing to go there, not to mention that we must also ensure that these missions are carried out with the most advanced space vehicles and equipment.
In December 1968, Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to ever orbit the Moon. This was quite an accomplishment for that time, considering space technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today. Then, in May 1969, Apollo 10 followed Apollo 8. After starting with Apollo 11, we can solve the mystery of how many times did astronauts go to the Moon because, after this mission’s success, five other missions have put humans on our natural satellite’s surface to gather precious information on what’s happening in outer space.
How much does it cost to go to the Moon?
Orbital Today reports that an average cost of going to space is about $58 million. Now, the answer to why did we stopped going to the Moon is getting clearer, doesn’t it? A lunar mission would cost more because it would involve in-depth research and complex equipment. Besides, NASA’s budget for 2022 is only about $24 million. Of course, we could rely on billionaires like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin to take us to the Moon again, but for now, these two seem to have other plans for their space companies.
However, hope is not lost. If you wonder, will astronauts ever go back to the Moon, the answer is yes — NASA does indeed have such plans. But hold on tight to your chair because we’re about to tell you how much this mission would cost. According to estimates, getting people to the Moon once again will cost $4.1 billion for each flight with four passengers. That works out to $1,025,000.000 for each astronaut. How is this for an expensive, government-funded vacation? Your Instagram profile would surely look good.
Why did we stop going to the Moon?
Many of us have wondered why did humans stop going to the Moon, as now we have the technology and resources to send people there more easily. Well, high cost is one of the reasons not to go to the Moon. Governmental space agencies don’t usually obtain that much financing because they’re funded from taxpayers’ money, whereas billionaires, such as Elon Musk, who can afford to go on space missions, are more interested in going to other planets in our solar system. After all, we all know how enthusiastic Mr. Musk is about colonizing Mars and how keen Jeff Bezos is on building space habitats for people to work and live in.
The last crewed Moon mission was Apollo 17, which took place between December 7 and December 19, 1972. So, why did we stop going to the Moon since then? As we already explained, NASA’s space-going budget was curtailed, and right now, it doesn’t have enough money for another Moon mission, even if Mike Pence has pledged that American astronauts will land on the Moon again by 2024 as part of an Artemis new lunar program. And among this mission’s astronauts, it seems there will also be the first woman to ever go on the Moon. Let’s wait until we hear that this crew is ready to go because this news will definitely be exciting!
