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The next moon landing: 'This time we're going to stay'

It has been 50 years since the United States first set foot on the moon. Now... We're getting ready to go back.

CLEVELAND — During a recent visit to NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine reflected on the accomplishments of Apollo and discussed the return to the moon. 

The new missions -- named Artemis after the twin sister of Apollo -- are scheduled to return man and the first woman to the surface of the moon by 2024.

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“We love Apollo," Bridenstine said. "At the time it was a contest of civilizations. It was a contest between political systems, economic systems. It was a contest to demonstrate technological prowess. It is also true that in 1972 we came home and we never went back."

Bridenstine said things will be much different in the years to come.

“This time when we go to the moon, we're going to stay. We're going to have robots and landers and rovers and humans having access to any part of the moon anytime they want. And we're also going to go with a very diverse and highly qualified astronaut corps so we can put the first woman and the next man on the south pole of the moon.”

The technologies and knowledge of how to live and work on the surface of the moon, for extended periods of time, will be used for manned missions to Mars.

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