Sources confirm that NASA has selected the crew for its Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years. The four astronauts, announced today at a press conference in Houston, include Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The mission is scheduled for late 2024.
Meanwhile, British aerospace firms are scrambling for a slice of the lucrative contracts tied to the Artemis programme. Documents obtained by this desk reveal that UK-based companies, including Rolls-Royce and Babcock International, have submitted bids for propulsion systems and surface habitat modules. The contracts, valued at billions of pounds, are part of NASA's push to establish a permanent lunar presence.
Critics question the cost: the Artemis programme's price tag has ballooned to over $90 billion. But for the British firms, the stakes are existential. 'We cannot afford to be left behind,' a senior industry source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'If we lose these contracts, we lose the expertise. It's that simple.' The race is on, and the clock is ticking.
