To recruit astronauts for lunar exploration "Artemis Program" Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hagita, October 23, 12:10
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hagita has called for new astronauts to participate from Japan over the international project "Artemis Program" aimed at landing astronauts on the moon again for exploration. I made it clear.
The "Artemis Program" will build a new space station "Gateway" that orbits the moon under the initiative of the United States, and will send astronauts to the moon again in 2024, and will continue to explore the moon thereafter. This is an international project, and Japan will also participate.
Regarding this plan, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hagita announced at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting that he would be recruiting new astronauts from Japan.
On top of that, Minister Hagiuda said, "It is extremely important for Japanese astronauts to participate in making the public aware of Japan's space exploration research efforts. I would like to support the country so that it can take advantage of opportunities." Said.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there are currently seven Japanese astronauts, but the average age is 51 years old, and it is expected that Japanese astronauts will land on the moon under the "Artemis Program" in the 2020s. In the second half, nearly half of the astronauts will reach retirement age.
For this reason, it was decided to recruit the next generation of astronauts, and the JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, will take the lead in considering the conditions for application and then around the fall of next year. I would like to start recruiting.