Japan Live News Updates: A fortunate Japanese astronaut has been selected to be the first non-American to step foot on the Moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions, as announced by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
This opportunity for Japan, long coveted by many nations, was extended during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit, aimed at bolstering ties with the key Asian ally.During a press conference with Kishida, Biden stated, "Two Japanese astronauts will participate in upcoming American missions, with one making history as the first non-American to land on the moon."Kishida praised this development as a "significant achievement" and revealed that Japan would reciprocate by supplying a rover for the program.NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon after over 50 years and establish a sustained lunar presence as a stepping stone to potential missions to Mars.The Apollo program, between 1969 and 1972, saw 12 Americans— all white men—walk on the Moon.Previously, NASA announced that the Artemis program would include the first woman and the first person of color to land on the Moon."Diplomacy aids exploration, and exploration fuels diplomacy," stated NASA chief Bill Nelson in a video released on social media.The first crewed mission to the lunar surface, Artemis 3, is scheduled for 2026.
China has also expressed its goal to land humans on the Moon by 2030.Additionally, the European Space Agency is expected to participate in future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions.Japan and the US have a longstanding collaboration in space activities, particularly at the International Space Station (ISS).In a joint announcement, the US and Japan clarified that a Japanese national would land on the Moon "pending the achievement of key milestones," without elaborating further.The pressurized lunar rover provided by Japan will allow astronauts to travel farther and conduct longer-duration work on the lunar surface, accommodating two astronauts in a "mobile habitat and laboratory" for up to 30 days during exploration near the lunar South Pole.
NASA plans to utilize the rover on the upcoming Artemis 7 mission, followed by subsequent missions over a 10-year period.The Artemis program commenced in 2022 with Artemis 1, which successfully orbited an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon.Artemis 2 is slated for 2025, sending four astronauts around the Moon without landing. The crew will consist of three Americans and a Canadian currently undergoing training.The first crewed Moon landing, Artemis 3, is scheduled for 2026, with participants yet to be announced by NASA.In January of this year, Japan achieved the feat of becoming the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the Moon, accomplished by its SLIM craft.
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