“It is the return of humanity to the Moon.” With the Artemis mission, a “new era” begins, welcomes Thomas Pesquet. BFMTV guest, the famous French astronaut who was in command of the ISS in 2021 is delighted with the start of this mission on Monday. NASA’s new giant rocket (SLS) and the Orion capsule atop it are due to lift off from Florida to enter orbit around the Moon.
The goal: to ensure that the SLS and the Orion capsule can transport astronauts safely in the future.
“It is the return of humanity to the Moon, but in a more sustainable, more collegial way. Not in competition but in cooperation, to settle there a little more”, enthuses Thomas Pésquet.
“There are still many other things to do”
For the French scientist, humanity still does not know everything about the satellite that revolves around the Earth. “Les missions Apollo nous ont permis d’en apprendre essentiellement sur la géologie. On a rapporté beaucoup de roches de la surface de la Lune, mais il reste plein d’autres choses à faire” sur la surface de la Lune, explain-t -The.
“We know that there is helium 3, that there are somewhat rare resources, but that they are on the Moon… We know that we could put a telescope on the other side and we could observe space like the James Webb Telescope does but in an even simpler way” , explains Thomas Pesquet.
After the Moon, the next step will be the Red Planet. “We know that scientifically Mars is more interesting, nobody hides it. But today we cannot go to Mars”, explains the Frenchman.
“Without Europe, Americans can’t go to the Moon”
While waiting to have the means to fly a little higher in the sky, several flights to the Moon will be planned for 2030, says Thomas Pesquet. And the astronaut pretends to be part of the journey.
“‘Europe (the European Space Agency, editor’s note) is half of the Orion capsule. Without Europe, Americans can’t go to the Moon, and obviously the opposite is true,” says French.
On the three flights planned for 2030, “there will be Europeans on board thanks to this contribution. And obviously, everyone will raise their hands”, warns Thomas Pesquet.
“I will not be the only one: it will be played in another way that is not on the voluntary side. But yes, there is a non-negligible possibility (…) of finding one day at the top of this rocket, and it would be a magical moment” , said.
Source: BFM TV
