White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday expressed support for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.
During the press briefing on Thursday, Psaki told reporters that the U.S. government would “work with industry and international partners to send astronauts to the lunar surface.”
“Another man and a woman to the moon, which is very exciting,” Psaki said, noting that to date only 12 people have walked on the moon – that was half a century ago.
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All 12 were Americans.
Psaki said the Artemis program would “introduce new and exciting science, prepared for future missions to demonstrate Mars and America’s values.”
NASA last year released the Artemis plan, which calls for $ 28 billion for the lunar program.
In 2019, NASA announced details of its vision for the Artemis Moon Lander that will bring American astronauts back to the lunar surface.
“With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to discover more of the lunar surface than ever before,” NASA said. “We will work with our commercial and international partners to achieve sustainable exploration by the end of the decade.”
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NASA added: “Then we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – to send astronauts to Mars.”
Initial mission capability for 2024 involves the landing of two astronauts on the south pole of the moon. According to NASA, astronauts will live and work out of the lander for six and a half days.
Psaki’s announcement comes when she received criticism this week for her comments on the US space force, where she apparently mocked a question from a reporter who asked if President Biden would retain the scope of the space force.
Psaki worked on Twitter on Tuesday night amid criticism to take note of the ‘important work’ of Space Force.
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“We look forward to the continued work of Space Force and invite team members to visit us in the Information Room at any time to provide an update on their important work,” she said.
And on Wednesday, when asked if the Space Force had the ‘full support’ of the Biden government, Psaki said ‘absolutely’.
“They have absolutely the full support of the Biden government,” Psaki said. “And we are not revisiting the decision to establish the Space Force.”
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“The desire for the Department of Defense to focus more attention and resources on the growing security challenges in space has long been a dual issue, informed by numerous independent commissions and studies conducted in various administrations,” Psaki continued, adding that “thousands of men and women serve with pride” in the Space Force.
Psaki added that the Space Force “was set up by Congress and that any other steps should actually be taken by Congress, not by the government.”