NASA announced a $28 billion plan to send the first woman to the moon as part of its Artemis program.
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The trip would mark the first time humans would land on the moon since 1972 and would be the third Artemis mission.
Artemis I will launch in 2021 with two test flights around the moon without astronauts. Artemis II will launch in 2023 with astronauts on board, and Artemis III will bring astronauts back to the moon's surface in 2024.
Artemis III would be for scientific discovery, economic benefits and inspiration for a new generation of explorers, NASA told CNN.
As part of the mission, astronauts will spend almost a week collecting samples and conducting experiments. One of the Artemis astronauts who may be part of the next crew to go to the moon is microbiologist and University of North Carolina alumna Zena Cardman.
The Artemis missions are the foundation of development for the Artemis Base Camp, which would allow for long-term moon exploration missions.
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In December 2017, President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, which called for NASA to send humans to the Moon for "long-term exploration and use" and missions to other planets.
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