A new permanent exhibition on NASA's Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon, has opened at the Herman Potočnik Noordung Space Centre in Vitanje in the northeast of the country with the support of the US Embassy.

Randy Bresnik, a visiting NASA astronaut with Slovenian roots, shared his reflections on the Artemis project, which Slovenia joined in April, at the exhibition opening on 23 October.

Bresnik, who is also NASA's deputy chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration, responsible for developing and testing technology for missions beyond Earth's orbit, met President Nataša Pirc Musar and visited the country's parliament during his latest visit.

Bresnik, whose ancestry traces back to the Upper Savinja Valley, has visited Slovenia several times, including in April when Slovenia signed the Artemis agreement. His current visit aims to raise awareness about Artemis and highlight the opportunities it offers to Slovenian industries and scientists.

Breznik noted the rapid growth of the space industry and limitless opportunities in space projects, whether Artemis or others connected to the European Space Agency (ESA), of which Slovenia is set to become a full member next year.

Bresnik explained that the first uncrewed test flight under the Artemis programme took place in November 2022, with the first crewed mission scheduled for next year, though some challenges could cause delays. A crewed landing on the Moon is currently planned for 2028.

The programme, led by NASA, involves US commercial space companies and international partners, including ESA. These partnerships are key to the programme's long-term goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon and eventually missions to Mars.

While Bresnik no longer expects to fly to Mars, he says future missions may involve today's students, some of whom attend his lectures. As for the upcoming lunar mission, NASA hopes to include the first woman astronaut.

Herman Potočnik Noordung (1892-1929) was a Slovenian space-travel pioneer and visionary who conceived the idea of a geostationary satellite.