International astronaut will be invited on future NASA moon landing

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An announcement made by NASA and the White House has revealed that an international astronaut is set to participate in a future moon landing alongside American astronauts by the end of this decade. This development was disclosed during a meeting convened by Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, part of the National Space Council’s activities under the Biden administration.

As of now, the identity of the international astronaut and the specific country they will represent remains undisclosed. NASA clarified that crew assignments for lunar-landing missions will be determined closer to the actual missions, and no commitments have been made to any particular nation at this time.

It’s worth noting that NASA has a history of involving international astronauts in space missions, with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen scheduled to undertake a lunar orbit mission with three American astronauts in the coming year.

The prospect of another crew actually landing on the moon is a significant development, marking the first time astronauts will set foot on the lunar surface in over half a century. However, this historic event is not expected to occur before 2027, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

During NASA’s Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, all 12 moonwalkers were U.S. citizens. The current moon exploration program is aptly named Artemis, paying homage to Apollo’s mythological twin sister.

The inclusion of international partners in this endeavor has been praised as a crucial step in fostering global cooperation in space. The Artemis Accords, established by NASA and the U.S. State Department in 2020, emphasize responsible conduct not only on the moon but also throughout space. Representatives from all 33 countries that have signed these accords were expected to attend the National Space Council’s meeting in Washington.

However, it’s worth noting that Russia and China, the only countries besides the U.S. to launch their own citizens into orbit, are notably absent from the Artemis Accords. Despite this, Russia continues to be a partner with NASA in the International Space Station, collaborating with Europe, Japan, and Canada. In the past, Russian and U.S. space agencies have cooperated on missions, such as launching each other’s astronauts to Russia’s former orbiting Mir station during the shuttle program in the 1990s.

During the meeting, Vice President Harris also unveiled new policies aimed at ensuring the safe use of space, particularly as private companies and countries increasingly venture into space exploration. Key concerns include addressing the climate crisis and mitigating the growing issue of space debris around Earth. An anti-satellite missile test conducted by Russia in 2021, which added over 1,500 potentially hazardous orbiting debris pieces, prompted calls from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others at the meeting for all nations to cease such destructive testing.

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More about International Moon Landing

• NASA Official Website
• White House Official Website
• Artemis Program Overview
• Artemis Accords Information
• U.S. Government Accountability Office
• International Space Station (NASA)
• Space Debris Information