American Vice President Mike Pens challenged NASA to send people to the Moon by 2024. Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator, accepted the challenge and announced that the deadline was enough, quoted by Vesti.bg

Pens wants a little more dynamics in NASA's space projects. He announced during a meeting at the Alabama Space Center that sending astronauts to the moon by up to 5 years is in the goals of the current presidential administration.

"Let's get to work now,"  Jim Bridenstine said on Twitter.

The original goal was to do so by 2028. With the growing space ambitions of other countries and the private sector, however, the US administration wants to show that it is also continuing to work and develop.

Pens says a new space race is starting, including China. The Asian country has already sent robotic lunars, as well as having ambitions to send astronauts and establish a space station around the Earth.

NASA wants to send the astronauts to the south pole of the moon or near it. The mission will also be important for gathering information and experience before the astronauts travel to Mars.

According to Pens, sending US astronauts to the Moon should be "at all costs," even if it requires the use of missiles by a private company. This may be necessary if NASA's new space system does not become ready in time.