NASA’s initiative to put a woman on the Moon is named Artemis, after Apollo’s twin sister.
NASA's mission to put people back on the moon now has a name: Artemis. That's not a random choice: In Greek mythology, the goddess Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, after whom the original moon landing missions were named.
The budget, which is for the financial year 2020, includes $1 billion for the development of a commercial lunar lander, which NASA would purchase from a private company. Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander, unveiled on 9 May, could be one option.
NASA's chief says a proposed $US1.6 billion ($2.3 billion) budget boost is a "good start" towards getting the first woman on the Moon within five years.
During a speech at NASA headquarters in Washington, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said the additional money, which the White House said on Monday it was seeking from Congress, would cover programs until 2020.
The news comes just over a month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. Last August, Pence spoke at NASA's Johnson Space Center and laid out plans for humans to develop a permanent moon base and travel to Mars.
NASA landed 12 men on the Moon over six Apollo missions.
“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 Jim Bridenstine. “I have a daughter who is 11 years old, and I want her to be able to see herself in the same role as the next women that go to the Moon.”
Congress still has to approve the budget request, and the approval will depend on where the money will come from — it will likely be offset by cuts elsewhere in the federal budget, such as cutting the budget available for university grants. Even then, some experts question whether it will be enough funding to get humans to the moon in 2024.
But more funding would be needed in the years ahead to land "the first woman and the next man" at the south pole of the Moon by 2024, NASA said.
NASA’s Artemis program is still very much in its infancy. While NASA has been developing a rocket and crew capsule to take people into deep space, those vehicles still have yet to actually carry any astronauts. Additionally, NASA still needs to develop a lot of new hardware, including new lunar landers, in order for this project to be a success. Plus, the space agency still needs to get Congress’s approval for the program’s budget.