On April 10, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed the plan to send Japan’s first astronaut to the Moon as part of the Artemis lunar exploration program led by NASA.
Simulation image of the Blue Moon lander by Blue Origin, tasked with sending astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN).
This statement was made by President Biden during a press conference following his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington. The joint statement after the discussions between the two leaders emphasized that “both countries are progressing towards exploring our Solar System and returning to the Moon.” According to an agreement signed between Japan’s Ministry of Science and NASA, the U.S. will allocate two lunar surface exploration flights to Japan in future Artemis missions. NASA anticipates that the flight with the Japanese astronaut could be launched as early as 2028.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated: “This is the next chapter in the space cooperation between our two nations. The U.S. will no longer walk alone on the Moon. We are proud to partner with Japan.”
Meanwhile, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation are developing a lunar exploration vehicle for crew activities. Astronauts will be able to operate this vehicle without wearing their spacesuits, significantly expanding their mobility on the lunar surface.
The Artemis program aims for American astronauts to return to the Moon by September 2026 – the first time in over 50 years. Historically, all 12 astronauts who have set foot on the Moon were white American men. However, in this upcoming flight, the crew will include women and non-white astronauts.
