(ConservativeSense.com) – A Japanese astronaut will participate in an upcoming NASA Artemis mission and become the first non-American to walk on the Moon.
On Wednesday, April 10, President Joe Biden announced that two astronauts from Japan would participate in future US missions to space. He added that one of those two would “become the first non-American” astronaut to land on the lunar surface.
Accompanying Biden at the press conference was Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was visiting Washington, D.C., for diplomatic discussions toward strengthening ties between the two nations. The invitation for a Japanese astronaut to participate in a moon landing mission is a dream opportunity for many nations. Kishida called the occasion a “huge achievement” for both countries and pledged to supply the mission with a rover.
The Artemis program will make history as the first attempt to put humans on the lunar surface in over half a century. The goal of the mission will be to construct a consistent, sustained presence on the Moon to prepare for potential future missions to explore Mars.
Twelve Americans walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 as part of the US Apollo program. All of those Americans were men of European American ethnicity. The Artemis program has expressed intentions to put the first woman on the Moon, as well as the first “person of color.”
NASA chief Bill Leson posted a video on social media about the announcement, which he called “historic.” He said Japan will develop “a pressurized rover to rover with” the astronauts on the Moon’s surface, describing the unit as “a mobile habitat, a “lunar lab,” a “lunar home,” and a “lunar explorer.” Leson called the rover “a place where astronauts can live, work, and navigate the lunar surface,” which he added will result in “magnificent discoveries” for humanity. The NASA chief called it a “representation of the power of partnership.”
Leson said the rover will allow astronauts to spend “several days on the surface,” allowing new research to be done in ways previously impossible. He then mentioned that two Japanese astronauts would join the Americans on the mission, and noted the decades-long partnership with Japan in space technology development.
The Artemis mission is not expected to launch until 2026, and the exact individual participants have yet to be announced.
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