Japanese astronaut to join Nasa’s mission to Moon

Photo by Bill INGALLS / NASA / AFP

WASHINGTON—A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of Nasa’s upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.

The offer to Japan—an opportunity many nations have long dreamed of—came as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit, and as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with its key Asian ally.

This handout photograph taken and released by NASA on April 6, 2024, shows Roscosmos’ Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky giving a thumbs up as he is helped out of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft shortly after landing with other crew of the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Loral O辿ara and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, in a remote area outside Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan), Kazakhstan. (Photo by Bill INGALLS / NASA / AFP)

“Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the moon,” Biden said in a press conference with Kishida.

Kishida hailed the announcement as a “huge achievement” and announced that Japan would in return supply a rover for the program.

Nasa’s Artemis program seeks to return humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, and to build a sustained lunar presence ahead of potential missions to Mars.

This handout video grab taken and released by Russian Space Agency Roscosmos on April 6, 2024, shows NASA astronaut Loral O辿ara shortly after landing of the Soyuz MS-24 space capsule, carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, NASA astronaut Loral O辿ara and the first Belarus woman in space Marina Vasilevskaya, in a remote area outside Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan), Kazakhstan. (Photo by Handout / Russian Space Agency Roscosmos / AFP)

‘Diplomacy’

Between 1969 and 1972, the US Apollo program saw 12 Americans—all white men—walk on the Moon.

Nasa previously announced that the Artemis program would see the first woman and the first person of color land on the Moon.

“America will no longer walk on the Moon alone,” Nasa chief Bill Nelson said in a video published on social media.

“Diplomacy is good for discovery. And discovery is good for diplomacy,” he added.

The first mission to take astronauts to the lunar surface, Artemis 3, is planned for 2026.

China meanwhile has said it seeks to put humans on the Moon by 2030.

The European Space Agency is expected to also get seats on future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions to the program.

Tokyo and Washington have worked together in the space sector for years, notably collaborating on operations at the International Space Station (ISS).

In a joint media release, the United States and Japan clarified that a Japanese national would land on the Moon “assuming important benchmarks are achieved,” without clarifying further.

This handout video grab taken and released by Russian Space Agency Roscosmos on April 6, 2024, shows the Soyuz MS-24 space capsule, carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, NASA astronaut Loral O辿ara and the first Belarus woman in space Marina Vasilevskaya, shortly after landing in a remote area outside Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan), Kazakhstan. (Photo by Russian Space Agency Roscosmos / AFP)

Japan rover

The lunar rover provided by Japan will be pressurized, meaning astronauts can travel farther and work for longer periods on the lunar surface, according to the statement.

It added that the pressurized rover will accommodate two astronauts in the “mobile habitat and laboratory” for up to 30 days as they explore the area near the lunar South Pole.

Nasa currently plans to use the rover on the future Artemis 7 mission, followed by subsequent missions over a 10-year lifespan. —AFP