The way this is phrased, it sounds like they've already achieved it, and I feel like that's a little bit intentional. They could have easily called it an "amateur manned space program", which would have lessened the ambiguity.
People learning English have to learn adjective order — it's a big, red bus; not a red, big bus – which could have contributed.
I'm pretty sure it is "big red bus"[0] and not "big, red bus" unless you're using the comma for emphasis? Either way, as you say, it can't be "red, big bus" nor can it be "red big bus" because these adjectives are cumulative, not coordinating.
[0] https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/commas-w...
[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/abo...
Like, if just having it as a goal is sufficient, well heck, I could step onto my lawn tomorrow and declare my household a manned amateur space program.
> Or his questioning of space shuttle engineers: ''They kept referring to the problem by some complicated name - a 'pressure-induced vorticity oscillatory wa-wa,' or something. I said, 'Oh, you mean a whistle!' 'Yes,' they said; 'it exhibits the characteristics of a whistle.' ''
http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/97/09/21/reviews/feynman-do...