The return of Man to the Moon is approaching. Thomas Pesquet answered questions from France 2 on Sunday August 28 about the Artemis mission, which should bring man back to the Moon in 2024 for the first time since 1972. “It remains a real scientific conquest”affirmed the French astronaut, explaining that it is a question, with this mission, of “to repeat one’s scales” before the next objective, a manned trip to Mars. “It is by going to the Moon that we will be able to go to Mars”, he detailed from Cape Canaveral, Florida (United States), from where a rocket will take off on Monday as part of the first stage of the mission.
The astronaut claimed that the return of Man to the Moon would be “very soon”. “We are talking about 2025”, he explained, specifying that the mission which is about to take off on Monday, called Artemis I, will constitute “dress rehearsal”. Then will follow Artemis II, “with a crew”. Finally, in “three or maybe four years”Artemis III will score “the great return of man and woman to the Moon”. “What is good is that Europe is part of this adventure. And that is new”he insisted, specifying that the European Space Agency (ESA) and the American space agency (Nasa) both had a decisive role to play in the mission. “European astronauts will have their voice in the chapter”he assured.
Thomas Pesquet also returned to the expected deadlines to know the astronauts selected for the manned missions to the Moon. “Three flights are already more or less negotiated between ESA and NASA”he said, adding that these flights should take place around 2027-2028. “Maybe we will know next year”concluded the astronaut, also specifying that it was necessary to plan two years of training for such missions.
The moon is “1,000 times further than the space station, which is 400km above our heads”also recalled Thomas Pesquet, specifying that the rocket which is about to be launched from Florida on Monday, is the “most powerful in the world”. “Everything is multipliedcontinues the French astronaut. We’re really going to go very far, as far as no human being has ever gone from Earth“. According to him, the Moon remains a “true scientific conquest” on which “there is still a lot to do.”
This mission will therefore be a “general repetition”waiting to be ready “technically” to go to Mars. “We know that scientifically, Mars is more interesting. But (…) we have to know how to do on the Moon, that we repeat our ranges a little”, detailed the astronaut, adding that “it is by going to the Moon that we will be in a position to go to Mars”.