We’ll put first woman on the moon, pledges Nasa

NASA has said it will name the next moon mission Artemis – and pledged to send a woman there for the first time.

The lunar explorer would be mankind’s first visit to its nearest neighbour since Apollo 17 in December 1972, and is to be named after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology.

Astronauts have walked on the moon only six times – all of which were spearheaded by Nasa under its Apollo programme.

Nasa chief Jim Bridenstine spoke of its commitment to putting the first woman on the moon. ‘I have a daughter, she’s 11 years old, and I want her to see herself in the same position that our current, very diverse astronaut corps currently sees itself – having the opportunity to go to the moon,’ he said.

‘In the 1960s, young ladies didn’t have the opportunity to see themselves in that role. Today they do. This programme is going to enable a new generation of young girls like my daughter to see themselves in a way that maybe they wouldn’t otherwise see themselves.’

But Nasa is searching for the cash to make the launch happen – four years earlier than originally planned – after the Trump administration changed its deadline to 2024.

Mr Bridenstine said that to meet this deadline, Nasa would need an additional £1.2billion for new ground and space vehicles. Nasa’s annual budget is around £16.6billion.