Japan to Send First Astronaut to Moon Under US Help

Image Source: Japan Times

Summary:

•        Main story: Japan is finalizing plans to send its first astronaut to the moon under the US-led Artemis program.

•        Timeline: Aiming for late 2025, with discussions for a second astronaut ongoing.

•        International collaboration: US intends to include an international astronaut on a lunar mission by 2029, potentially a Japanese astronaut.

•        Japan's contribution: Construction of lunar outpost, material transport, and developing a spacesuit-free lunar rover.

•        Artemis program goals: Re-establishing human lunar presence, advancing lunar exploration, and paving the way for Mars missions.

•        Next steps for Artemis: Uncrewed lunar flyby in 2024, crewed lunar flyby in 2025, week-long lunar stay in 2025, and regular lunar missions from 2028.

Additional points of interest:

•        This highlights the growing international cooperation in space exploration.

•        Japan's involvement reflects its long-term space ambitions and expertise in robotics and technology.

•        The development of a spacesuit-free lunar rover is a significant technological advancement.

•        Artemis marks a renewed focus on lunar exploration with goals beyond simply planting a flag.

Details:

Japan Times reported that the United States and Japan are making final arrangements to land a Japanese astronaut on the surface of the moon for the first time, under a U.S.-led lunar exploration program.

The Artemis program aims to achieve a historic milestone by sending U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in over half a century by 2025 at the earliest, and a Japanese astronaut may be among the next to land on the Earth's satellite, according to the sources.

The two countries are also discussing putting a second Japanese astronaut on the moon and expected to finalize a plan as soon as next month, the sources said.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday that the United States intended to have an international astronaut accompany U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2029, although she did not say from which country the envisaged individual might be selected.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday confirmed at a meeting of the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development that two countries were speeding up discussions.

Japan will not only participate in the construction of Gateway, a lunar-orbiting outpost planned under the Artemis program, but will also be responsible for transporting materials, as well as developing a lunar rover that can be driven without a spacesuit.

Besides returning humans to the moon and advancing lunar exploration, the ultimate goal of the Artemis program is explore Mars.

Last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA successfully put the uncrewed Orion spacecraft on course to fly around the moon and return to Earth.

It is planning to send four astronauts from the United States and Canada on a lunar flyby in November 2024 for its next step in lunar exploration, followed by a roughly weeklong stay on its surface aboard a SpaceX craft at the end of 2025 and a nearly annual trip to the moon from 2028.

 Source: Japan Times