Japan and the United States plan to announce their "shared ambition" to realize a future moon landing by a Japanese astronaut in a document to be released when U.S. President Joe Biden visits Tokyo next week, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The announcement, to be made by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Biden, will be part of the Artemis project, an international effort led by the United States aimed at advancing lunar exploration and eventually sending astronauts on missions to Mars.
The document, to be released after the leaders' meeting on Monday, will also include a plan to conclude a pact in 2023 on expanding bilateral cooperation in space exploration over the next several decades, the sources said.