Vice President Harris announces international astronaut will land on the Moon
During a National Space Council meeting on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that an international astronaut will land on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program. The announcement highlighted the United States’ commitment to international partnerships and the role that the space program plays in elevating the soft power of the country.
Harris stated, “Today, in recognition of the essential role that our allies and partners play in the Artemis program, I am proud to announce that alongside American astronauts, we intend to land an international astronaut on the surface of the Moon by the end of the decade.”
NASA’s Artemis program, designed to return astronauts to the Moon, places significant emphasis on international collaboration and participation. The program’s inclusion of international partners intertwines considerations of geopolitics and international relations with themes like US national prestige, exploration, and scientific discovery. Earlier this year, NASA named Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen to the Artemis II crew training program.
The announcement comes as a reflection of NASA’s long history of including astronauts from its international partners on human spaceflight missions, dating back to the ninth flight of the space shuttle in 1983. It also signals an opportunity for NASA to repay partner nations for their financial commitments to US-led space projects with high-profile flight opportunities.
Among the international partners contributing to Artemis, a European astronaut is seen as the most likely candidate for the first landing with NASA, given the funding and contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA) to the program. Japan and Canada are also seen as potential candidates due to their respective contributions to the development of the Gateway mini-space station and the Artemis program.
The announcement by Vice President Harris is a momentous step forward in the Artemis program and underscores the importance of international partnerships in space exploration.