US President Joe Biden confirmed, during a joint press conference in Washington with the Japanese, that “two Japanese astronauts will participate in future American missions, and one of them will be the first non-American to land on the moon.” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
During an official visit, the Japanese leader praised the “tremendous success in the field of space,” announcing that Japan would provide a highly advanced lunar vehicle in return.
The North American Artemis program aims to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, and should send the first woman and the first black person to the Earth's satellite.
Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program took 12 North American men to the moon, all of them white. These are the only 12 people to have set foot on the moon.
NASA head Bill Nelson said in a video clip posted on social media: “America will no longer walk alone on the moon.” He added, “Diplomacy is useful for discoveries. Discoveries are useful for diplomacy.”
The first Artemis mission to return astronauts to the moon's surface, Artemis 3, is scheduled to take place in 2026.
China plans to send humans to the moon by 2030.
Tokyo and Washington already cooperate closely in the field of space, especially in the context of International Space Station operations.
The two countries said they plan to “deepen their cooperation in astronaut training” to achieve their new goal, according to a joint statement issued by the two leaders.
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