Recent engineering setbacks, specifically regarding helium system issues associated with the improper flow of helium into the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s upper stage, and persistent hydrogen leaks, have forced NASA to delay the crewed Artemis 2 mission to no earlier than April. While frustrating for the public, these delays are a necessary byproduct of returning to human deep-space exploration after a 50-year hiatus. However, the tone from Washington is shifting from one of methodical engineering to geopolitical anxiety.

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Amadi Brians Chinonso, Ph.D., is a space weather scientist and former graduate visiting fellow at NASA Goddard, NCAR and Los Alamos National Laboratory, specializing in ionospheric disturbances that affect GNSS integrity. As the founder of BrianSpace,...