NASA unveils plan to setup 'Artemis', the first human base camp on Moon's south pole by 2024

NASA is working on the Artemis program that aims to land humans on the moon by 2024. The space agency has put forward a plan showing what a US lunar presence may look like after the milestone.

NASA submitted a 13-page report to the National Space Council on 2 April. The National Space Council is an advisory group to US President Donald Trump, presided over by Vice President Mike Pence.

Visual representation of Artemis. NASA

The report titled NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development offers a summary of how the space agency will accomplish the 2024 moon landing mission.

It also gives information on what the US would achieve from long-term presence on the moon and lunar orbit.

“For years to come, Artemis will serve as our North Star as we continue to work toward even greater exploration of the moon, where we will demonstrate key elements needed for the first human mission to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement released with the report.

The focus of the report is Artemis Base Camp at the South Pole of the moon.

NASA says that they plan to conduct operations on and around the moon and for that they require Artemis Base Camp, which will be their first sustainable foothold on the lunar frontier.

The initial plan is to move to one to two-month stays to learn more about the moon and the universe.

NASA said in the long term, the base camp will need infrastructure for power, waste disposal and communications, besides radiation shielding and a landing pad.

The base camp, as per the report, will demonstrate the US’s continued leadership in space and will eventually help them prepare to undertake humanity’s first mission to Mars.