As per US President Joe Biden’s announcement on Wednesday, a fortunate Japanese astronaut would be the first person who is not American to set foot on the Moon as part of NASA’s planned Artemis missions.
As part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit, Washington extended an offer to Japan—an opportunity that many countries have long coveted—as it looks to fortify its relations with its important Asian partner.
“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 praised the news as a “huge achievement” and declared that Japan will provide a rover for the project in exchange.
In order to prepare for future trips to Mars, NASA’s Artemis program aims to bring people back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The US Apollo program saw 12 Americans, all of whom were white males, set foot on the moon between 1969 and 1972.
Prior to the Artemis program, NASA declared that the first woman and person of color will set foot 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.
Artemis 3, the first mission to send humans to the moon, is scheduled for launch in 2026. In contrast, China has declared that it hopes to land people on the moon by 2030.
