The US space agency "NASA" has officially announced the participation of a woman for the first time in a plan to return to the moon by 2024.
Within the framework of the program called "Artemis", a man and a woman were sent to the surface of the moon, in the first manned landing since the "Apollo 17" flight in 1972.
It will be launched on board a powerful rocket bearing the name "SLS", and the astronauts will travel in a capsule similar to the "Apollo" vehicle, called "Orion", according to the British "Sky News" network.
Testing all important systems on a tour around the moon in the fall of 2021. The first stage will include the "Artemis-1" unmanned flight, which will last for about a month.
The "Artemis-2" flight will do the same tour in 2023, but with a crew on board, while the last flight in 2024, "Artemis-3", will witness the landing of astronauts on the south pole of the moon.
The astronauts will be provided with advanced suits that allow them greater flexibility compared to those used in the previous Apollo flight.
Seven days will be spent on the surface of the moon, where the astronauts will collect samples and conduct several experiments before returning to Earth
According to "NASA", its program will also include building permanent infrastructure on the moon later in the decade, in order to support the long flights that will seek to discover the resources available on the moon and the possibility of their use.
NASA Director Jim Bridenstein said that the cost of the program is $ 28 billion. He also made clear that this cost includes all expenses associated with the historic trip.
"The budget request presented to the House and Senate at this time includes $ 3.2 billion for a manned landing system," Bridenstein said.
He added, "We return to the moon again in pursuit of more scientific discoveries, in search of economic benefits, and to inspire a new generation of explorers."
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