Japan aims to put a person on the moon by late 2020s

Japan's announcement comes a week after Yusaku Maezawa returned to earth after spending 12 days aboard the International Space Station. - Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters): Japan revised the schedule of its space exploration plans on Tuesday (Dec 28), aiming to put a Japanese person on the moon by the latter half of the 2020s.

"Not only is space a frontier that gives people hopes and dreams but it also provides a crucial foundation to our economic society with respect to our economic security," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a meeting to finalise the plan.