The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released on Monday an updated plan for its Artemis lunar program, the first phase of which (Artemis 1) is now slated for 2021, and the second (Artemis 2) for 2023. This was announced at a telephone briefing for journalists by the head of the department, James Bridenstine.
The landing itself on the moon, which is considered the third stage of the mission (Artemis 3), should occur, as previously planned, in 2024. “All the elements we need to successfully land on the moon in 2024 are in the process of being implemented, and we are rapidly moving towards that goal,” Bridenstine said.
Artemis 1 envisages the unmanned flight of the Orion spacecraft installed on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket around the Moon and its return to Earth. The second stage (Artemis 2) is a flight around a natural satellite of the Earth with a crew on board.
