Established in 2021, International Moon Day will now be every July 20. It aims to raise awareness of the exploration and sustainable use of our unique natural satellite. But by the way, why did you choose this date?
It has fascinated for millennia, but has only just been explored on a human scale: the Moon has had its own world day since 2021! A decision made by theUnited Nations General Assemblywith a date in homage, of course, to the first lunar landing in the history of mankind, which took place on July 20, 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 mission. But also to the first steps that Man has ever taken carried out on the lunar ground, shortly after the moon landing on the night of July 20 to 21 (French time) by Neil Armstrong !
Since then, many missions have followed, including manned Apollo missions, but also exploration by space probes. Thanks to flyovers of our natural satellite, hydrogen is detected at the bottom of some of its polar craters, permanently isolated from the Sun. This discovery then suggests the presence of ice: this presence of water was finally confirmed in 2009 by NASA, then many studies follow to explain its origin.
Today we celebrate the 1st International Moon Day @UN_en ????https://t.co/CWoBfGIC9w
We are working with our international partners on a sustainable return to #Moon. Until then, explore our satellite with our interactive guide ???? https://t.co/ag3TN2B0Lzpic.twitter.com/TNuGg44glK
— ESA France (@ESA_fr) July 20, 2022
Soon a lunar base with the Artemis program
Today, the exploration of the Moon is accessible to many other world powers: Japan, China, India, but also Europe. On the program for the future, new manned space missions, this time to install a lunar base. This is particularly the purpose of Artemis program NASA, which plans to return humans to the Moon by 2025 to establish a lunar base there. New information will be revealed later today on this subject.
But also of China and Russia, who have joined forces to set up a joint manned research station on the Moon! World Moon Day then serves as a reminder of the importance of peaceful exploration of our satellite, established through the Artemis Agreements. However, these have not been signed by all nations, but nevertheless provide a framework for the exploitation of outer space.
#Artemis news ahead!
@NASA leaders will be sharing updates on the Artemis I mission at 11am ET (15:00 UTC) on July 20 as @NASAGroundSys teams prepare for the uncrewed flight test that will prepare us for human missions to the Moon: https://t.co/teIlwmsKZupic.twitter.com/MJ6D3XhVyt—NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) July 19, 2022
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