Bridenstine: New NASA moon program will be different from Apollo missions

MELBOURNE, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - NASA is launching another moon mission, this one called Artemis. Administrator Jim Bridenstine spoke Thursday at Florida Technical University, to breakdown the mission and explain how it differs from Apollo.

“While, it is built on the credibility of Apollo, it’s also going to be very different,” said Bridenstine.

One of the major differences this time is the commercial space industry's role in supplying much of the technology for the program. Bridenstine said this change will help the organization achieve its goal of putting astronauts back on the moon by 2024.

“Can we do that in the next five years? I’m telling you, yes we can. Does everything have to go right? Yes,” said Bridenstine.

But as history has proved, things don’t always go right, which is when having a variety of commercial contractors could payoff.

“Contractors that are building similar things but in different ways, then if there is a setback we can go forward with a different approach,” said Bridenstine.

Another setback could come from Washington.

“Every time we start on approach to get back to the moon, something changes, priorities change, congresses change, administrations change and it creates the environment where we don’t achieve the end state,” said Bridenstine.

The program could be crippled by lack of funding but that’s where commercial contractors may  payoff once again, according to Bridenstine, because they continue designing and developing, despite challenging political times, furthering NASA’s endeavors.

Another difference between this program and Apollo is the promise to put the first woman on the moon.

“I would like my 11-year-old daughter to see herself as having every opportunity that I had growing up,” said Bridenstine.

And the equal opportunity doesn’t stop at gender.

“We have this very diverse, highly qualified astronaut core that looks a lot like America,” said Bridenstine.

NASA also announced Thursday one of many commercial partners in the mission. Maxar Technologies will design a portion of the technology for the program.