NASA’s Artemis Program Aims To Return Humans To The Moon

NASA’s Artemis Program Aims to Return Humans to the Moon In a recent announcement, astronomers have expressed excitement about the upcoming missions set to take place by SpaceX, with dates confirmed for critical endeavors that will propel humanity’s exploration of space further. While these developments are momentous, a concurrent and equally significant initiative by NASA, the Artemis Program, has gained renewed attention.

Launched in 2019, Artemis aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024. The program is a comprehensive effort to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon by 2028, with future plans to send humans to Mars and beyond. Scheduled for August 2022, the Artemis I mission will mark a crucial step in this journey, sending an uncrewed spacecraft, Orion… around the Moon and back to Earth.

The mission will test the spacecraft’s systems and pave the way for the Artemis III mission, slated for 2024, which will see the first woman and the next man walk on the Moon’s surface. Building on the success of the Artemis Program, NASA is also eyeing the lunar surface as a prime location for establishing a permanent, sustainable presence.

Potential missions in the near future include the Lunar Trailblazer, “set to explore the Moon’s surface in 2023,” and the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission, “scheduled for 2024.”.. which will focus on searching for water ice and other resources on the lunar surface.