Nasa has unveiled the four astronauts who will fly around the Moon next year, including one Canadian, as the UK government intensifies its campaign for a role in the Artemis programme. The crew of Artemis II, announced on Monday, will be the first to leave Earth’s orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. They include Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover – the first Black astronaut on a lunar mission – and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of Canada.
The UK is not part of the crew, but ministers are pushing for a British astronaut to walk on the Moon later this decade. Downing Street believes that leveraging the UK’s growing space sector, including satellite manufacturing and robotics, could secure a seat at the table. However, critics point out that the UK’s contribution to the European Space Agency budget has fallen, and that the government’s space strategy lacks the financial muscle of the United States.
For the North, where aerospace manufacturing is a key employer, the Artemis programme offers the promise of high-skilled jobs and regional pride. But with the cost of living biting hard, many workers here wonder whether the billions spent on space exploration would be better directed at fixing potholes and shoring up the NHS. The Artemis II mission, slated for late 2024, will test life support systems and navigation ahead of a planned landing in 2025.
For now, the astronauts are British heroes in the making – but only if the UK can afford the ticket.
