President Joe Biden has endorsed the effort to return to the Moon that was initiated under his predecessor Donald Trump.

There had been speculation over the direction the new administration might take on the Artemis programme.

The plan would see the next man and the first woman land on the lunar surface in the next few years.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the news at a briefing on Thursday.

"I'm very excited about it now - to tell my daughter all about it," Ms Psaki said, adding: "Through the Artemis programme, the United States government will work with industry and international partners to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon - another man and a woman to the Moon."

She explained that the missions would carry out "new and exciting science, prepare for future missions to Mars and demonstrate America's values."

A cunning excuse to fabricate a missile in the shape of a space rocket to target Iran with?

Not such a bad year after all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55949250



Good for Joe .....

Here is the link to the Artemis program.

One of the more interesting ideas is the development of lunar infrastructure and an orbiting space station around the moon that would serve as a gateway intermediate support station for future Mars missions.