China’s official view of NASA’s Artemis program appears to be dismissive
Enlarge / NASA's SLS rocket will power the Artemis I mission to the Moon. (credit: NASA)
NASA's imminent launch of the Artemis I mission to the Moon-the US space agency's first in a series of missions to return humans to deep space-will garner widespread attention in the United States and abroad.
No humans have launched beyond low Earth orbit for nearly five decades, and although this mission will have no astronauts on board, the Artemis II mission in a few years will. Moreover, unlike the all-American Apollo program in the 1960s, the Artemis program will include a rich vein of international cooperation.
A Canadian astronaut will fly on board the Artemis II mission around the Moon, and Japanese and European astronauts are likely to join later missions to the lunar surface. Already, 20 nations have signed the Artemis Accords to be a part of NASA's lunar program, and that coalition is likely to grow.