Mission to Moon: How US and Japan plan to once again send humans to the lunar surface

As the allies increase their cooperation on space initiatives, Japan and the US said Monday that they plan to send the first Japanese astronaut to the Moon.

Here's how the two countries plan on achieving this dream:

Till date, no non-American has ever set foot on the Moon. Japan has previously stated that it hopes to land on the Moon before the end of this decade, and now this dream may become a reality.

Now, following his first face-to-face meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, US President Joe Biden has stated that the two countries will collaborate on the US-led Artemis mission to bring humans to the Moon and then to Mars.

NASA aims to return humans to the lunar surface with the Artemis programme, nearly 50 years after they last stepped on the lunar surface during the Apollo programme.

Apollo 17, the last manned trip to the Moon, took place between December 7 and 19, 1972.

The 12-day mission set numerous records, including the longest space walk, the longest lunar landing, and the largest lunar samples returned to Earth.

As per NASA, "With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars."

The Artemis Moon plan has two goals: it aims to achieve an initial human landing by 2024 with acceptable technical risks, while also aiming toward long-term lunar exploration in the mid- to late 2020s.

(Image: NASA - Artemis Plan)

The Artemis Moon missions are divided into three phases and many "firsts".

The programme is built around a series of Space Launch System (SLS) missions. These space missions will get more complex as time goes on, with missions occurring every year or more. 

Artemis I through III missions have been planned by NASA and its partners; further Artemis missions have also been proposed. Each SLS mission revolves around the launch of an SLS rocket carrying an Orion spacecraft.

(Image: NASA - Artemis Plan)

This uncrewed mission, formerly known as Exploration Mission-1, is a comprehensive test of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion module.

This phase of the mission will evaluate Orion's ability to operate beyond low Earth orbit, as well as its navigation and communication systems in deep space. 

Artemis 1 was supposed to launch in late 2021, but that schedule has been pushed back.

NASA has planned dozens of launch options between now and December 22, with many more lunar launch options planned through June 2023.

(Image: NASA)

This mission is crewed and tests Orion's life support systems with four astronauts on board.

After being launched into orbit by the SLS rocket, the four-person crew will fly the Orion module 8889 kilometres beyond the Moon, complete a lunar flyby, and return to Earth. It is expected to launch in 2024. 

(Image: NASA)

The mission is expected to launch in 2025. 

Building on the success of the Artemis 2 mission, four astronauts aboard the Orion module will dock with the Lunar Gateway and spend 30 days in space. 

The human landing mechanism will transport two astronauts to the Moon's South Pole, which has never been visited by humans before. 

The astronauts will spend a week exploring the Moon's surface and conducting various scientific investigations, including sampling water ice, which was originally discovered on the Moon in 1971.

(Image: NASA)