NASA Artemis Mission to Land Another International Astronaut to the Moon, But From Where?

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 21 December 2023, 10:12 pm

The latest update for the NASA Artemis mission is to search for its next international astronaut to join the journey to the Moon, with Vice President Kamala Harris announcing this to the National Space Council. The latest statement by the Vice President centers on the expansion of US space programs, one that opens its doors to neighbors, aboard the Space Launch System rocket.

In this latest venture, the agency and VP Harris plan this international venture to take place in future Artemis missions, but would not be on the first crewed flight.

NASA Artemis Mission to Land Another International Astronaut

(Photo : NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The recent meeting of NASA leaders, the National Space Council, and the US government has revealed their next steps in future Artemis missions, and one of the goals is to add another international astronaut to the flights.

This was revealed and highlighted by Vice President Kamala Harris' statement to the meeting participants, in a bid to expand more of US' partnerships.

"In the coming years, one of the primary ways we will continue to extend that leadership is by strengthening our international partnerships, combining our resources, scientific capacity, and technical skill with that of our allies and partners around the world, all in furtherance of our collective vision," said Harris.

Artemis Moon Mission: From Where Is Its Next Astronaut?

The Artemis' Moon mission would choose its international astronaut based on their financial contributions to the project like what is done via International Space Station crew assignments, as speculated by Ars.

It also pointed out that it would probably be from the European Space Agency (ESA) to be the first to join, and the next possible one would be from Japan's JAXA.

The NASA Artemis Moon Mission is Coming

Last year in November, NASA launched its first uncrewed test flight of the Artemis mission to the Moon, and it involved the full stack of the SLS and Orion capsule, visiting the lunar surface and back. It brought several items on board, but there were no astronauts part of this operation as it was meant to test the capabilities of the spacecraft for future missions.

In April 2023, NASA also revealed the four-team list of the astronauts flying to the Moon, and they will be the first crewed flight that the agency would bring back to the natural satellite, for the first time after 50 years. This includes astronauts including Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian astronaut.

That being said, this would not be the only Artemis mission for the future, and there are many more slated for the coming years, with the United States looking to add more astronauts from collaborating countries in this venture. This was from the latest announcement of VP Harris, looking to add more international partners, for those who are looking to pay the right amount to be a part of these missions.