NASA Announces Record-Breaking Mission to Return to the Moon in 2024
NASA has unveiled ambitious plans to return to the moon in 2024, with a mission that includes a record-breaking feat. The return to the moon will involve several Artemis missions, with one mission set to fly four astronauts around it.
The selected astronauts for this historic mission are Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This mission marks a significant milestone in space exploration, with Koch becoming the first female astronaut to be sent on a moon mission, Glover being the first person of color to do the same, and Hansen making history as the first non-American to complete such a mission.
The aim of the Artemis missions is to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. NASA also plans to collaborate with commercial and international partners, establishing the first long-term presence on the moon. The agency then hopes to use the knowledge gained from these missions to take the next giant leap – sending the first astronauts to Mars.
The US space agency is currently building its giant Artemis 2 Moon rocket, aiming for a late 2024 launch date. The mission is set to take eight days, with the astronauts flying around the moon to complete a test route ahead of the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for 2025. The Artemis 3 mission aims to explore the dark side of the moon, which never faces Earth, and include a crewed moon landing.
Despite the ambitious plans, NASA acknowledges that all rocket launches are subject to various factors that could cause delays. Nevertheless, the agency is on track with its 2024 plans and is working tirelessly to achieve this historical feat in space exploration.