A Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to go on a NASA lunar mission, the US and Japan plan to announce on Wednesday, according to a senior US official familiar with the delegations’ plans.
The Japanese astronaut will take part in the Artemis programme, a NASA project to return astronauts to the moon as early as 2026, more than half a century after the last Apollo mission.
The pledge, which is expected to be announced during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington to meet President Joe Biden, is a sign of stronger economic and defence ties between the two countries. It is Washington’s latest move to use its space programme to attract friendly nations and rival China in the race for the moon.
The Biden administration has scored other major victories as part of its space diplomacy strategy.
During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last September, the two countries announced that NASA would work with the Indian space agency on a joint mission to the International Space Station.
New Delhi also agreed to sign the Artemis Accords, a US-backed initiative to develop guidelines for activities on the moon and other parts of space.
Japan and India are among the three dozen countries that have signed the Artemis Accords, with Greece and Uruguay joining in February.
