NASA aims to put first woman on the moon by 2024 in Artemis mission
The space agency says $1.6 billion will do nicely to help accelerate its moon landing plans.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
NASA's making new travel plans to return to the moon.
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 space agency's updated budget request asks for $1.6 billion to help get that mission to the moon off the ground, The New York Times reported Monday. NASA confirmed the news on Twitter.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted that the Artemis mission would be the first time a woman walks on the moon, something Vice President Mike Pence had alluded to in March. That same month, NASA scrapped plans for the first all-female spacewalk because of a spacesuit sizing issue.
Our #Moon2024 mission is being named after Artemis, who was a sister to Apollo and goddess of the Moon. We're excited to be landing the first woman and next man on the surface of the Moon by 2024. pic.twitter.com/ri0MnoZN0k
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 13, 2019
President Donald Trump also tweeted about the proposed increase.
Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars. I am updating my budget to include an additional $1.6 billion so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019
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 didn't immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
