Why moon landings are proving harder now than 50 years ago

Between 1969 and 1972, NASA landed a total of six crewed missions on the Moon. But in the 50+ years since, not a single astronaut has visited the lunar surface, while unmanned Moon missions have failed in nearly half of their attempts (including last week’s Peregrine mission).

So what has prevented most space agencies from making a successful return trip? According to industry experts, the question has three main answers:

1. While technologies like computers, phones, and navigation systems are far more advanced today than 50 years ago, the efficiency of rocket engines has only increased by 10%-20% over the same period.
2. After the US and Soviet Union’s Moon landing programs were shuttered in the mid-‘70s, the global space industry turned its focus to other areas for the next several decades, meaning previous infrastructure no longer exists.
3. In recent decades, NASA’s inflation-adjusted budget has shrunk by more than half compared to what the agency received during the height of the Apollo era.

👀 Looking ahead… NASA last week delayed its Artemis II lunar mission by an additional year to September 2025, while its Artemis III crewed Moon landing – the first since 1972 – is now scheduled for the following September.