Context

NASA has announced new plan to establish a permanent lunar presence and put an American on the Moon. The project is named Artemis.

About

Project Artemis:

• It is $1.6 billion project of NASA to send the next man and first woman to the moon by 2024.
• It’s timing is in synchronous with the Apollo lunar project of 1969, the 50th anniversary of the culmination of which is this year.
• Under the plan, a mission to land on the moon would take place during the third launch of the Space Launch System. Astronauts, including the first woman to walk on the moon would first stop at the orbiting lunar outpost. They would then take a lander to the surface near its south pole, where frozen water exists within the craters.
• NASA is seeking $132 million from the country’s Congress for developing technologies like converting ice within craters at the moon’s poles to water and $90 million for robotic exploration of the moon.

Why this particular name?

• The mission is named Artemis after the twin sister of Greek god Apollo, whose name was used by NASA for the series of spacecraft that first landed Americans on the moon in 1969.
• In Greek mythology, Artemis was the Moon goddess. It is also the nomenclature for the goddess of the hunt. Her faithful hunting companion was named Orion — just like the multi-purpose spacecraft the agency is developing right now.
• NASA has announced that Artemis would refer to the major upcoming missions concerned with establishing a permanent presence on the Moon. This includes all the major missions to explore the lunar surface, as well as any constructing infrastructure there or in lunar orbit, for example the planned Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.

How this project is different from earlier moon missions?

• The femininity of the name is a deliberate choice as well. The Apollo missions were crewed exclusively by men, though they relied on many women for their success.
• This time things are different. Both women and men have explored and set records in space, and no doubt those of other identifications will do so soon as well.
• In the history of Moon landings, it was test pilots from the 1960s and 1970s, fighter pilots, and there were no opportunities for women back then. This program is going to enable a new generation of young girls to pursue their dream of touching down on moon.