British astronauts invited to join Nasa on the Moon

A RESURRECTED Moon-landing programme could involve British astronauts and scientists, Nasa chiefs who flew in for discussions with the UK Space Agency have confirmed.

Nasa said each country could decide how deeply involved it wanted to be with the Artemis project, which seeks to return humans to the lunar surface by 2025 ahead of establishing a permanent base there.

Pam Melroy, the deputy administrator of Nasa and a former shuttle commander, said Britain had helped develop lunar communications and talks were under way for its greater participation.

Although the first astronauts to travel to the Moon on the project will be Americans, Nasa said it expected that an international partner would eventually join them on the surface.

The British space sector is involved in building the service and habitation modules for the Lunar Gateway – a space station that will orbit the Moon and ultimately provide a stepping stone for astronauts travelling from Earth and further into the solar system.