As Nasa marks the 50th anniversary of the historic first Moon landing, it’s preparing to take its next giant leap.
The agency’s Artemis programme will carry the heroes of the future to walk on the lunar surface again. Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also the goddess of the Moon and the hunt.
“The mission encompasses all of our efforts to return humans to the Moon—which will prepare us and propel us on to Mars”, said the US space agency.
Nasa has earlier announced 18 astronauts who will travel to the Moon under the agency’s Artemis programme. They include individuals who have already travelled to the International Space Station, as well as new recruits who have never flown in space.
The programme to return astronauts to the lunar surface is planned to launch by 2024, according to the US space agency. With the mission, Nasa plans to explore regions of the Moon never visited before, unlock mysteries of the universe and test the technology that will extend the bounds of humanity farther into the Solar System.
