NASA - MOON

NASA has a long history of exploring the Moon, starting with the Apollo program in the 1960s and 70s. In recent years, NASA has been working on a new series of missions to the Moon, called the Artemis program, with the goal of returning humans to the Moon by 2024.

The Artemis program includes a series of missions, starting with an uncrewed mission, called Artemis I, which is planned for late 2021 or early 2022. Artemis I will involve the launch of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon. The mission will test the capabilities of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, as well as a number of other technologies that will be used in later Artemis missions.

The next mission in the Artemis program is Artemis II, which is planned for 2023. Artemis II will involve a crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft, but will not include a landing on the Moon. Instead, the mission will involve a flyby of the Moon, allowing the crew to test out the spacecraft's systems and procedures for future Moon landings.

The first crewed Moon landing of the Artemis program is planned for 2024, with the goal of sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon's surface. This mission, called Artemis III, will involve the use of a lunar lander, which will be developed by a commercial partner of NASA. The lunar lander will be launched separately from the Orion spacecraft, and will dock with the spacecraft in lunar orbit before descending to the Moon's surface.

In addition to these missions, NASA is also working on a number of other technologies and systems that will be used in the Artemis program. This includes the Gateway, a lunar outpost that will orbit the Moon and serve as a staging point for future missions to the Moon and beyond. The Gateway will also allow for longer-term lunar missions, as it will provide a place for astronauts to live and work in space for extended periods of time.

Overall, the Artemis program represents an ambitious and exciting new chapter in NASA's exploration of the Moon. With a series of missions planned over the next few years, NASA is working to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon, paving the way for future human missions to Mars and beyond.