The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has not been to the moon since the final mission of the Apollo program 1972. They are planning on finally going back with a series of missions called the Artemis program. In November, in a mission called Artemis II, a spaceship called Orion will take off from Earth, travel around the moon, and return to Earth. Its crew will look much different from the crew that went to the moon in 1972.
Early in April, NASA announced the crew for Artemis II. The crew consists of Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen. Christina Hammock Koch will be the first woman to fly that deeply into space. Victor Glover will be the first person of color to make the journey. The goal of Artemis II is to test systems to make sure a moon landing is possible. So, this mission will likely mean a woman and a person of color walk on the moon within several years.
The crew is not only diverse, but also multi-national. Jeremy Hansen is an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, emphasizing the international cooperation important to the Artemis program. Canada has partnered with the United States to develop a satellite orbiting moon called the Gateway. The Gateway will help missions to the moon in years to come.
However, Artemis has an even bigger goal than the moon. After returning to the moon, Artemis plans on using the moon as a waystation to help astronauts journey to Mars. To accomplish this goal, Artemis will need help from many nations in addition to Canada. Canada and many other nations have agreed to a basic set of principals known as the Artemis Accords that ensure that nations will help each other as they explore deep space.
What Do You Think? Have you ever worked on a project where you needed the help of others? How did you come up with a way to work with other people?
Photo Credit: James Blair/NASA
