August M
More than half a century has passed since a human last stepped onto the lunar surface.
Despite major technological advances, the absence of return missions has raised persistent questions, reports LADbible.
Politics over tech
The last astronaut to walk on the Moon, Eugene Cernan, left the surface in 1972 during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission.
According to LADbible, many assume the long gap is due to technical limitations, but former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine dismissed that explanation.
“If it wasn’t for the political risk, we would be on the moon right now.”
He added: “In fact, we would probably be on Mars. It was the political risks that prevented it from happening.”
Cost and delays
Bridenstine also pointed to financial and logistical challenges behind the stalled progress.
According to LADbible, he said extended timelines and rising costs discouraged continued missions beyond the Apollo era.
He added: “The program took too long and it costs too much money.”
This combination of political hesitation and budget concerns ultimately halted further lunar exploration.
Return in motion
Efforts to send humans back to the Moon are now underway through NASA’s Artemis programme.
According to LADbible, the Artemis II mission recently launched a crewed flight around the Moon as a precursor to a planned landing mission.
Four astronauts are taking part in the mission, spending around 10 days in space while testing systems for future deep-space travel.
The mission also aims to gather new perspectives of the Moon and advance preparations for journeys beyond Earth orbit.
Life in space
Crew members have described dramatic moments during the mission, including orbital manoeuvres near Earth.
“On our first day in space, we saw some extraordinary things. The Earth up close. By the time we had a bit of a nap and got up, the Earth was just so far away again.”
“We were out there at 60,000km, we came back to within 200km of the planet, and it just felt like we were falling out of the sky back to Earth.”
According to LADbible, astronauts also brought personal items onboard, reflecting both the risks and emotional significance of the journey.
The Artemis missions are expected to mark the first human return to the Moon since Cernan’s historic final steps.
Sources: LADbible
