“Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the Moon,” Biden said in a press conference with Kishida.
NASA’s Artemis program seeks to return humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, and to build a sustained lunar presence ahead of potential missions to Mars.
Between 1969 and 1972, the US Apollo program saw 12 Americans — all white men — walk on the Moon.
NASA previously announced that the Artemis program would see the first woman and the first person of color land on the Moon.
“America will no longer walk on the Moon alone,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a video published on social media.
European contribution The European Space Agency (ESA) has three seats reserved for future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions to the program.
The Artemis space program was inaugurated in 2022 with Artemis 1, which successfully flew an uncrewed vessel around the Moon.
The first crewed landing on the Moon will be Artemis 3, currently scheduled for 2026.
Aiming to fortify relations with its principal Asian ally, Washington extended the offer to Japan—a chance that many countries have long coveted. It was made as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit.
Speaking alongside Kishida at a press conference, Biden stated, “Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American to land on the Moon ever.”.
A rover for the program would be provided by Japan in exchange, Kishida declared, hailing the announcement as a “huge achievement.”.
In order to prepare for future trips to Mars, NASA’s Artemis program aims to bring people back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
Twelve Americans—all white men—walked on the moon as part of the US Apollo program between 1969 and 1972.
The first woman and person of color to set foot on the moon would happen as a result of NASA’s Artemis program.
In a video posted to social media, NASA chief Bill Nelson declared, “America will no longer walk on the Moon alone.”.
“Discovery is enhanced by diplomacy. And exploration is beneficial to diplomacy,” he continued.
Artemis 3, which is scheduled for 2026, will be the first mission to send humans to the moon. China, meanwhile, has declared that it hopes to land people on the moon by 2030.
Japan-US collaboration.
For years, Tokyo and Washington have cooperated in the space industry, most notably on the International Space Station (ISS) operations.
Additionally, Japan’s SLIM craft made history this year by becoming the fifth nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon in January.
The United States and Japan clarified in a joint media release that, “assuming important benchmarks are achieved,” a Japanese national would set foot on the moon. No additional details were provided.
According to the statement, the lunar rover that Japan is providing in exchange will be pressurized, allowing astronauts to work and travel farther on the lunar surface for extended periods of time.
It further stated that two astronauts will be able to stay in the “mobile habitat and laboratory” of the pressurized rover for as long as 30 days while they investigate the region close to the lunar South Pole.
The rover will first be used by NASA on the upcoming Artemis 7 mission, and then it will be used on other missions during its ten-year lifespan.
European share.
In return for providing technological contributions to the program, the European Space Agency (ESA) has three seats set aside for upcoming Artemis missions.
It is still unknown, though, if European astronauts will be able to land on the Moon or if they will only be able to fly over it.
These specifics of the agreement with NASA are still “subject to further discussions,” according to Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration at the European Space Agency. “.
Adding that he could “perfectly understand” Japan’s and the United States’ cooperation, Neuenschwander acknowledged “geostrategic” reasons for the agreement in a phone interview with AFP on Wednesday.
Artemis 1, the first craft to successfully orbit the Moon without a crew, launched the Artemis space program in 2022.
In 2025, Artemis 2 is scheduled to launch four astronauts around the Moon without making a landing. Three Americans and one Canadian, who are presently undergoing training, will make up the crew.
Artemis 3, which is slated for 2026, will be the first crewed landing on the Moon. The mission’s participants have not yet been revealed by NASA.
AFP).
