Japan Joins NASA in the Effort to Return Humans to the Moon

NASA hopes to send humans to the Moon once again after more than half a century. If everything goes well, that should happen thanks to the Artemis mission that will take place in 2025 or 2026.

But it seems like the American space agency will have a new ally in its ambitious attempt. Japan will send some of its astronauts to give NASA a helping hand during the long-awaited Artemis mission.

Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida made the big announcement

According to space.com, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the big announcement during a meeting held in Tokyo on May 23 that NASA will collaborate with Japanese astronauts who will join the Artemis crew to the Moon. Those astronauts could even reach the lunar surface.

Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator, said, as the space agency’s website quotes:

Our shared ambition to see Japanese and American astronauts walk on the Moon together reflects our nations’ shared values to explore space responsibly and transparently for the benefit of humanity here on Earth,

With this historic announcement, President Biden is once again showing nations throughout the world that America will not go alone but with like-minded partners. Under Artemis, it’s our intention to invest in and explore the cosmos with countries that promote science, economic opportunity, and a common set of shared values.

No astronauts have been to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission that took place in 1972. Commander Gene Cernan as well as Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt were the brave men who walked on the Moon during that mission, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans orbited above the surface.

If everything goes according to the plan during the Artemis mission, NASA’s next objective will be to send the first humans to Mars.