Humanity will set foot on the Moon again this decade after more than 50 years of absence from Earth’s natural satellite. When it happens European Space Agency (ESA) will participate with an astronaut from their ranks who will travel with NASA representatives.
The news confirmed Josef Aschbacher, ESA Directorin dialogue with publication space. “I am very pleased and proud that NASA trusts Europe as a partner,” said the Austrian, who took over in 2021.
In particular, the space agency of the old continent will take part in Artemis 4 and Artemis 5 missions, which are scheduled for 2028 and 2029, respectively. Under the new agreement, an ESA astronaut is expected to participate in each of these initiatives.
Aschbacher added that ESA member states are also evaluating their own methods for getting their astronauts into space in the coming years. The agency is debating whether to develop its own spacecraft and mission infrastructure. This topic will be covered in Space Summit 2023 will be held on November 6 and 7.
The ESA director envisioned a “lunar partnership” with NASA.
Earlier this month, following the launch of ESA’s Euclid mission to study dark matter and dark energy, Aschbacher hinted at a new collaboration with his American counterpart. “I am doing everything possible to ensure that this obligation is fulfilled,” the manager said about this.
He liaison between NASA and ESA on future Artemis missions He won’t be the first. The agencies have historically collaborated on numerous projects, including activities on the International Space Station and the management of new state-of-the-art telescopes (James Webb and Euclid). These are just two examples of the close relationship between agencies.
According to the above source, ESA was one of NASA’s first partners in the Artemis missions. Last month, the number of successors reached 27 with the accession of Ecuador and India. Europa is also helping to build a module for Orion, which supplies resources to the spacecraft that will take the Artemis astronauts to the moon.
Artemis Mission Schedule
As we have indicated, the US agency plans to return to Earth’s natural satellite after more than 50 years of absence. The last manned mission to the moon dates back to 1972 as part of the Apollo 17 mission..
Artemis engines already included. Last November, NASA sent the first mission. It was an unmanned flight around the moon for experimental purposes. Within this framework, the first ship with astronauts will be launched in November 2024.
Then, around 2025 or 2026, the US programmed the Artemis 3 mission with the goal of touching the lunar soil with a ship. The next step will be to send astronauts: although it is planned to be done this decade, many variables could change this goal.
As we mentioned earlier, even the smallest details can change the agenda. For example, previous problems with making astronaut suits changed the timing of missions.
Source: Hiper Textual
