FLY YOUR NAME TO THE MOON ON NASA'S ARTEMIS SPACE MISSION

Have you ever thought about going to the Moon? Or maybe just taking a joy ride around it. Well, you might have a chance to do that, sort off.

NASA’s Artemis mission which has been introduced a couple of years ago has finally kicked of early in April 2022. Artemis I which was the first mission to launch, is the first integrated test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This mission provides a new foundation for human seep space exploration and the capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.

According to NASA’s website, “this flight, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown, over the course of about a three-week mission.” 

It has also been revealed that the Artemis mission, NASA will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon, “using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.” NASA also wrote, "We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”

This mission is designed to return to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers, the Artemis Generation. Several small businesses and suppliers all across America has contributed to the success of the Artemis program to get research closer to finding out whether human will one day be able to evolve to the Moon.

NASA’s Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in his foreword in the Artemis Program, “Today, NASA is delivering more missions, more science, and more innovation at a better value for the American taxpayer than at any point in the agency’s history and with half the buying power than 1964, when Apollo development was at its peak. We thank the President, the Congress, the American taxpayers, and the emerging space industry for the combined efforts to strengthen our nation’s space program. Under the Artemis program, humanity will explore regions of the Moon never visited before, uniting people around the unknown, the never seen, and the once impossible. We will return to the Moon robotically beginning next year, send astronauts to the surface within four years, and build a long- term presence on the Moon by the end of the decade.”

However not only are these mission crucial to one day find a new home for human kind, but are also critical to the space economy, fuelling new industries and technologies, supporting job growth, and furthering the demand for a highly skilled workforce.

Bridenstine concluded his foreword by adding, “I am proud to share NASA’s Artemis Plan—this is how we will go to the Moon once again. And how we will use the Moon as the stepping stone for our next greatest leap—human exploration of Mars.”

And seeing that the mission has already kicked off, it doesn’t mean that you can’t join in on the action. NASA revealed that anyone can send their name on the mission to the Moon. By simply signing up on NASA’s website, your name will be included on a flash drive that will fly aboard Artemis I as well as the other upcoming missions. 

Follow the link and get your boarding pass to fly your name out to space: https://www.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-artemis/