Japanese astronaut to make history as first non-American to land on moon

Photo by Bruno Scramgnon on Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/full-moon-596134/

The moon will welcome another visitor from Earth, and this time not an American.

In the wake of the total solar eclipse, also known as the “Great North American Eclipse” on April 8, the lunar landscape is about to witness a groundbreaking moment: a Japanese astronaut is set to become the first non-American to set foot on the moon.

The announcement came directly from the office of US President Joe Biden, who revealed plans for NASA’s forthcoming Artemis missions.

During a press conference, President Biden revealed that two Japanese astronauts would be participating in future American missions, with one poised to etch their name in history as the first-ever non-American lunar visitor.

As shared by Phys Org, Biden said that “the two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the moon.”

This history in the making for Japan materialized during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent state visit to the United States. As diplomatic ties between Washington and Tokyo continue to strengthen even further, Biden extended this invitation to Japan, fulfilling the aspirations of many nations to contribute to space exploration.

Prime Minister Kishida lauded the announcement as a “remarkable milestone” and pledged Japan’s commitment to the Artemis program by offering to supply a rover for lunar exploration.

NASA’s Artemis initiative is a significant leap forward in space exploration, aiming to return humans to the moon for the first time in over half a century.

Beyond merely revisiting lunar soil, the program aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, laying the groundwork for future interplanetary endeavors, including potential missions to Mars.

Reflecting on the legacy of the US Apollo program, which saw 12 American astronauts grace the moon’s surface, the Artemis program signals a new era of collaboration in space exploration, where they also previously revealed that the said program would not just see “the first Japanese” but also see “the first woman” and “the first person of color” on the moon.