A Japanese astronaut will be the first non-American to land on the Moon on one of NASA’s forthcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday.
As part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s official visit and as Washington attempts to deepen ties with its major Asian partner, Japan was offered an opportunity that many nations have long desired.
Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the Moon
“Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the Moon,” Biden stated during a press conference with Kishida.
Kishida praised the announcement as a “huge achievement” and promised that Japan would provide a rover for the program in exchange.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time in almost 50 years, as well as establish a long-term lunar presence in preparation for future Mars missions.
From 1969 to 1972, 12 Americans, all of whom were white, walked on the Moon as part of the US Apollo program.
NASA earlier announced that the Artemis program would result in the first woman and person of color landing on the moon.
“America will no longer walk on the Moon alone,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a video published on social media.
“Diplomacy is good for discovery. And discovery is good for diplomacy,” he added.
The first mission to carry astronauts to the lunar surface, Artemis 3, is scheduled for 2026. Meanwhile, China has stated that it intends to send humans to the Moon by 2030.
Japanese astronaut would land on the Moon “assuming important benchmarks are met”
Tokyo and Washington have collaborated in the space industry for many years, most notably on International Space Station operations.
This year, Japan became the fifth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon, with the SLIM craft touching down in January.
In a joint media announcement, the United States and Japan clarified that a Japanese national would land on the Moon “assuming important benchmarks are met,” but did not go further.
According to the announcement, Japan would deliver a pressurized lunar rover in exchange, allowing astronauts to travel further and work for longer periods on the lunar surface.
It further stated that the pressurized rover will house two astronauts in a “mobile habitat and laboratory” for up to 30 days as they explore the area near the lunar South Pole.
NASA now intends to employ the rover on the upcoming Artemis 7 mission, followed by the following missions over 10 years.
The European Space Agency has set aside three seats for future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions to the program.
However, it is still uncertain if European astronauts will get the opportunity to land on the Moon or simply fly around it.
According to Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, the details of the agreement with NASA are still “subject to further discussions.”
In a phone interview with AFP on Wednesday, Neuenschwander stated that he could “perfectly understand” the cooperation between the United States and Japan, acknowledging “geostrategic” reasons for the agreement.
The Artemis space program began in 2022 with Artemis 1, which successfully flew an unmanned vehicle around the Moon.
Artemis 2 is scheduled for 2025, and it will fly four men around the Moon without landing. The crew will consist of three Americans and one Canadian who are currently in training.
Artemis 3, which is scheduled to launch in 2026, will be the first crewed landing on the Moon. NASA has not yet announced who will participate in the project.