NASA has just selected the group of astronauts for its Artemis program. Among them are the next man and the first woman to walk on the Moon. This highly anticipated mission is due to take place in 2024.
Three years ago, the Trump administration set a very ambitious goal for NASA:to return humans to the Moon by 2024 . From this ambition was born the Artemis program. In recent months, the American agency has thus focused on the selection of astronauts who will pave the way for the next human missions on our satellite. This new team has just been finally selected and appointed by current Vice President Mike Pence. It includes eighteen astronauts, including nine men and nine women.
Half this team has already flown in space. In fact, two of the members are currently aboard the ISS. "It's truly amazing to think that the next man and first woman to walk on the moon are among those names “, said the Mike Pence on Wednesday, December 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Note that not all astronauts assigned to Team Artemis will necessarily fly to the Moon . Some team members will serve on primary and backup teams aimed at lunar surface exploration, while others will work in orbit aboard NASA's Gateway.
The US agency also plans to add more members to this Artemis team at the end of 2021. International astronauts from partner countries will also be assigned to some Artemis missions.
Time-wise, NASA should start sending robotic missions to the Moon as early as 2021 . In parallel, the Artemis 1 mission will see an unmanned Orion capsule circle our satellite. It will be followed by Artemis II which will take a first crew into lunar orbit in 2023 . Note that NASA plans to select Artemis II crew members as early as next year. These four astronauts are therefore included in the list named above.
Finally, still made up of four astronauts, the crew of Artemis III will land on the lunar surface in 2024, if everything obviously goes as planned. During this highly anticipated mission, two astronauts will remain aboard the capsule, while the other two embark to explore the surface.
