Japan could send first astronaut to moon under US-led Artemis project
Japan will not only participate in the construction of Gateway, a lunar-orbiting outpost planned under the Artemis programme but will also be responsible for transporting materials, as well as developing a lunar rover that can be driven without a spacesuit.
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Japan launches rocket carrying moon lander to explore origins of the universe
Besides returning humans to the moon and advancing lunar exploration, the ultimate goal of the Artemis programme is to explore Mars.
Last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or Nasa, successfully put the uncrewed Orion spacecraft on course to fly around the moon and return to Earth.
It is planning to send four astronauts from the United States and Canada on a lunar fly-by in November 2024 for its next step in lunar exploration, followed by a roughly weeklong stay on its surface aboard a SpaceX craft at the end of 2025 and a nearly annual trip to the moon from 2028.