[JumpCrisscross]

> Blue's option was being seen as the faster option due to having a less risky critical path

Source? (Not doubting, and it sounds vaguely familiar.)

> the landers aren't actually the current bottleneck in the program. The space suits are in total development hell

The neat thing about Artemis is it’s pushing so many boundaries that it’s reasonable to debate the actual bottlenecks. I still think launch is it, since even without spacesuits you can do robotic construction. (Hell, even without HLS you can ship nuclear power stations and solar panels and rovers.)

[hgoel]

I was speaking mainly off my reading of the discussions on the internet in recent months, but I'm assuming the impression stems from this OIG report https://oig.nasa.gov/news/artemis-lander-program-faces-sched...

It seems to point to rising costs on SpaceX's end, and in my reading, is very critical of them compared to BO.

>The neat thing about Artemis is it’s pushing so many boundaries that it’s reasonable to debate the actual bottlenecks. I still think launch is it, since even without spacesuits you can do robotic construction

I believe that suits are still important because you can't really do much with a crew there without them. There aren't even new EVA suits available. And, of course politically, it's going to be seen very poorly if they can't do a "One small step for a man..." moment.

[JumpCrisscross]

That’s a fair criticism. I’m just never remembering anyone thinking BO was the safer option.

[avmich]

Can't we, at worst, use Apollo-level suits - maybe actial suits? - for small Moon walks?

[hgoel]

As mentioned, Apollo suits are neither safe, nor in working condition now. Even the EVA suits on the ISS (which are only usable for space walks) are decades old and just barely being kept going.

The US simply hasn't been able to bring new spacesuits into use for a long time, every single time, the costs and timelines have spiraled. Probably because a lot of the knowledge has been lost to old age, and the new guys need some time to relearn those lessons and improve on them.

[JumpCrisscross]

No. One, they don’t exist in working condition. Two, the tolerances and materials were unacceptable by modern standards. (And for modern purposes. We’re going there to do shit. Not be Boy Scouts.)

[tsimionescu]

> I still think launch is it, since even without spacesuits you can do robotic construction.

The plans for Artemis are public, and they don't include any robotic construction before a manned landing.

Neveemind that the idea of a moon base is fanciful, I think it's very unlikely to happen in anything resembling current world climate.

[JumpCrisscross]

> plans for Artemis are public

They also change every time a Congressional staffer sneezes. If the space suits don’t work, a pivot would be easier than having the space suits with no rocket to put them on.