KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The Artemis 1 mission is playing an important role in educating us all about science and math, as well as sending an important message about diversity and inclusion.
Watch: Artemis 1 launch scrubbed: What happens next for NASA’s moon rocket
“Artemis 1 leads to Artemis 2, which leads to Artemis 3, when we hope to have humans on the surface of the moon,” said NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.
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Artemis 2 will see astronauts lifting off from Kennedy Space Center for the first time since Apollo – the crew will leave Earth’s orbit and travel beyond the far side of the moon.
Photos: NASA set for historic launch of SLS rocket for Artemis I mission to the moon
Artemis 3 is when NASA aims to land on the moon’s surface.
Artemis 3 also aims to send the first woman and the first person of color to the surface of the moon.
Watch: TIMELINE: NASA scrubs launch of Artemis I due to technical issues with engine
Plans in the future also include the first humans tracking out to Mars, putting our footsteps and building science laboratories there, and inhabiting another planet.
At this point, we don’t know who will take those fateful steps.
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NASA said there are 42 active astronauts and 10 candidates.
Wiseman said he knows that whoever walks on the moon’s surface will bring the hopes and dreams of the next generation looking to follow in their footsteps with them.
Read: NASA’s next moonshot: What you should know about the Artemis lunar program
“When I think about Apollo, I think about every kid that watched that landing and wanted to work in Mission Control that wanted to be an astronaut that wanted to be a doctor that wanted to be a school teacher, like the impact of what Apollo did was not putting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, it was changing the way we look at STEM completely,” Wiseman said.
NASA leaders said it’s time for young women to see themselves represented in Artemis.
Watch more in the video above.
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