posted 08-31-2026 07:16 AM               

NASA to declare 'America Has Returned' with Moon Base plaque

NASA has revealed the first component of its Moon Base to be delivered with the next U.S. astronauts to step foot on the lunar surface.

The space agency on Friday (Aug. 28) debuted the commemorative plaque that will be mounted to the "cornerstone" of its planned, human-tended installation at the moon's south pole. The aluminum plate made its debut during a visit by President Donald Trump to Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

posted 09-02-2026 01:11 AM               

And it's another symbol of my disdain for the way that space has become the taxpayer-funded playground of the rich, not the frontier of exploration it once was.

posted 09-02-2026 11:34 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by hbw60:
Eagle's plaque bore no flags. It didn't boast about national superiority. It didn't credit the achievement of the moon landing to any individual person.

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posted 09-02-2026 10:44 PM               

One such objective is landing people on the Moon and conducting an EVA, which requires a spacesuit.

Since Isaacman came on as the latest NASA administrator, ways of "streamlining" the Artemis program in an effort to get back to the Moon have been made in the form of cutting programs and "streamlining" the construction of the SLS and Orion.

Now, a news story that came out today details how NASA has decided to develop a "cheaper" sortie suit that is lighter and simpler than the suit that has been under development.

Artemis IV also requires a vehicle to land on the Moon. Blue Origin has experienced a setback at their launch pad, and SpaceX still have a shopping list of goals that need to be achieved before early 2028 to get their Lunar Landers in a position ready to carry out the Artemis IV mission.

Shifting goalposts and cutting corners could be one way to look at the current state of play. Between the launch of Artemis II and Artemis IV, how many technical or design changes will be made that create situations that cause a delay in the planned launch date?

Will the suit that astronauts wear on the Artemis IV mission ever be tested in space before Artemis IV, or even fly on Artemis III for evaluation and testing? Will Blue Origin or SpaceX get their landers ready on time and carry out testing in LEO, including spacesuit integration tests of a suit that does not exist as of today?

Chances are Artemis IV will be delayed, possibly past the next US election. I see the press event to showcase this "Moon Base Plaque" as a premature publicity event. There will be no Moon Base, and possibly nothing left behind to mount the plaque on Artemis IV.