NASA revealed the name of the mission back to the Moon in 2024

The US space mission on the Moon in 2024 will now be called Artemisannounced Monday NASA, which has requested an additional budget to Congress to maintain the accelerated schedule.

The administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, announced the new name Monday night at a press conference with the press to detail the $ 1,600 million budget extension that the agency estimates it needs to meet its annual budget and finance rockets and space vehicles needed for astronauts to walk on the moon.

Artemis, daughter of Zeus, is the twin sister of Apollo and "the goddess of the moon"said Bridenstine. In turn, Apollo is the name of the program that sent twelve American astronauts to the moon from 1969 to 1972.

In March, the administration of Donald Trump announced that the return of American astronauts to the moon, which would include the first woman, this would take place in 2024 and not in 2028, as previously planned.

NASA's total annual budget is currently around $ 21,500 million, of which $ 4.5 billion was spent in fiscal year 2019 (ending in September) in mega-rocket SLS, the Orion vehicle and in the development of the future station in lunar orbit, three essential elements for the return of the United States to the Moon.

Although the figure of An additional $ 8,000 million annually, he replied that this amount was "Well above what is envisioned within the agency."

The space agency manager did not say how much it would cost the mission in its entirety. "I would love to answer them a lot," He said that when asked Bridenstine, who must now convince Congress to approve the funds requested.

(With information from AFP)