Japan will send its first astronaut to the Moon!

Ana sayfa / Popular Science

NASA will set foot on the Moon at the end of the year with the Artemis Mission. The work continues without slowing down. Recently, another surprise country was included in the Artemis program. It has been revealed that Japan and the United States are in talks about including a Japanese astronaut in the future Artemis Mission. The US-led exploration program will serve as a stepping stone for Japan’s first lunar astronaut. Additionally, this mission will provide Japan with a major boost in terms of space exploration efforts. Here are the details…

Japan will be included in the Artemis Mission!

NASA plans to land the Artemis III Mission on the Moon surface after a long break. According to the flight schedule, NASA will land the first astronauts on the lunar surface by 2025 at the earliest. Recently, Japan will also be able to participate in the Artemis Mission. Negotiations between the two countries continue.

Last week, US Vice President Kamala Harris made some statements on this issue. In the statement, she said that an international astronaut will take part in the Artemis Mission, which will be led by the USA. NASA plans to have astronauts on the Moon by 2029. According to the information further strengthened by Kamala Harris’s latest comments, this international astronaut will also be Japan’s first lunar astronaut.

Japanese space agency JAXA and NASA will cooperate. Additionally, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan and the USA are accelerating their partnership activities. The Japan and NASA partnership will not be limited to the Artemis mission. Japan will also participate in other NASA projects, including the construction of the Lunar Gateway, an outpost planned to orbit the Moon.

In NASA’s next mission, Artemis II, astronauts will fly close to the Moon with the Orion spacecraft. This mission includes four astronauts from the United States and Canada. The Artemis II mission will take place in November 2024. In addition, NASA plans to organize regular trips to the Moon almost every year until 2028.