BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA could be getting an additional $1.6 billion in its 2020 budget.
- $1.6B addition to 2020 budget intends to fund NASA's moon missions
- 2024 moon mission will be called 'Artemis,' NASA reveals
- Get more Space coverage
President Donald Trump signed off on a budget amendment Monday. The money is intended to help the space agency land astronauts on the moon again by 2024, including the first woman.
This increase is on top of the $21 billion budget request to get back to the moon in the next five years.
During a town hall meeting with employees, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said the effort would take all of NASA to make it happen.
“We've been given this monumental opportunity. And it wasn't just backed up with rhetoric, it was backed up with a budget request. The next step is to communicate why this is so important to our country,” Bridenstine said.
NASA has also revealed that “Artemis” is the moon mission's name, which the Greek goddess of the moon and Apollo's twin sister.
The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 is this July.