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US, Japan Launch Bid to Put First Japanese Astronaut on Moon

  • Two countries to collaborate on human, robotic lunar missions
  • NASA has warned of growing tensions between US and China
The US-led Artemis project is an effort to return astronauts to the moon and eventually send humans to Mars.

The US-led Artemis project is an effort to return astronauts to the moon and eventually send humans to Mars.

Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
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The US and Japan agreed to work to put the first Japanese astronaut on the moon, accompanied by an American astronaut, as the longtime allies develop a partnership aimed at countering China.

The two countries said in a joint statement they’d collaborate on human and robotic moon missions “including a shared ambition to see a future Japanese astronaut on the lunar surface,” with a goal of signing an implementation agreement this year.