NASA has a solid plan to put a man on the moon once again and the agency now has a name for that mission: Artemis. It pays homage to the Apollo as the 50th anniversary of the mission’s culmination is this year and also signifies the possibility that this program will send the first woman to the Moon.
NASA confirmed the name for its new Moon program via its social media channels today. Those who are pretty into Greek mythology would know that Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the Moon. That’s a good nod to the likelihood of this mission sending the first woman to the Moon. A feat that would, without a doubt, be historic.
“Our astronaut office is very diverse and highly qualified. I think it is very beautiful that 50 years after Apollo, the Artemis program will carry the next man — and the first woman — to the moon,” NASA Administrator Bridenstine said.
Artemis was also the goddess of the hunt and Orion was her faithful hunting companion. Little coincidence, then, that the multi-purpose spacecraft that NASA is developing now is also called Orion. As it stands, the Artemis mission aims to mark a return for the Americans on the surface of the Moon by 2024.