“This $ 24.7 billion funding application demonstrates the Biden Administration’s commitment to NASA and its partners who have worked so hard over the past year in difficult circumstances and have achieved unprecedented success,” he said in a statement from NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk.
“The president’s discretionary request increases NASA’s ability to better understand the Earth and monitor and predict the impacts of climate change. It also provides us with the resources needed to continue advancing America’s bipartisan Moon-to-Mars space exploration plan. , including the landing of the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon under the Artemis program. “
Biden’s request for fiscal year 2022 would keep NASA on track to bring humans back to the moon, aligning with the president’s “commitment to pursuing a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for everyone, “according to a NASA statement.
Artemis astronauts include Joseph Acaba, Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Victor Glover Jr., Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Christina Koch, Kjell Lindgren, Nicole Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir, Jasmin Moghbeli, Kate Rubins, Frank Rubio, Scott Tingle, Jessica Watkins and Stephanie Wilson.
“Women and people of color represent an important part of all facets of NASA’s workforce, and the last two classes of astronauts selected have included the highest percentage of women in history,” Lal said. . “Fifty percent of the 2013 national class was female and 45% of the 2017 class. And today, African American, Asian Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and multiracial astronauts make up about a quarter of the active astronaut corps of the NASA “.
Lal said the announcement is personally very meaningful to her. He arrived in the United States at age 18, with two suitcases full of books and not imagining he would work at NASA in the future.
“If you can see it, you can believe it,” Lal said. “Much of what NASA does is inspire the next generation, but to be successful in that inspiration, we must continue to be leaders in terms of diversity and equity.”
This diversity is needed, not only for mission capability, but through NASA to fuel the agency’s big steps to drive the way humans explore space, he said.
Astronauts returning to the Moon will act as a test point before sending them to Mars, another long-term goal of the Artemis program.
“It’s not a‘ flags and footprints ’activity like the Apollo program,” Lal said. “It’s a more sustained presence to help us prepare to get to Mars.”
When astronauts explore the lunar south pole, which had never been visited by humans, they will build on the legacy and science gained during the Apollo program and take it into a new century.
After the unmanned flight of Artemis I in November, Artemis II will be a manned overflight of the moon in August 2023. Artemis III will return astronauts to the moon.
In addition to helping the Artemis program and studying climate change, the president’s request would also help the agency’s robotic space exploration, provide a boost to aviation technology, and provide new funding for NASA’s efforts to get involved in STEM outreach for under-served students, according to the agency.