NASA prepares for landmark crewed lunar mission after five decades

Answering “the question of our lifetime”

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who is in charge of the Artemis II mission, said on Sunday that the moon is a “witness plate” to the formation of the solar system and a “stepping stone” to Mars, “where we might have the best chance of finding evidence of past life.”

She told reporters, “Many, many countries have seen the value in exploring further into the solar system, to the moon and on to Mars.” “They know that we can get all of these very real benefits and that we have the chance to answer the question that could be the question of our lifetime: Are we alone?”

“To answer that question, we need to start at the moon,” she remarked. “Should we go or should we lead? That’s the question.”

The US wants to set an example for how other countries and companies will live and work on the moon’s surface through a series of Artemis missions that will become increasingly advanced over the next decade. One day, countries and companies will be able to use the rocky resources on the moon and practice for much harder missions to Mars.

NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, as well as Jeremy Hansen, who will be the first Canadian astronaut to get close to the moon, are also on the team.

Hansen’s involvement was part of a 2020 deal between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. “It was the result of decades of contributions and strategic investments on our part that led to this participation,” said Mathieu Caron, head of CSA’s astronaut office. He pointed to Canadian robotics contributions on the International Space Station as an example.