The four astronauts NASA picked for the first crewed moon mission in 50 years
The four astronauts NASA picked for the first crewed moon mission in 50 years
NASA unveiled the team for its long-awaited crewed lunar journey on Monday, marking the beginning of training for the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch in November 2024. This will be the first human expedition to orbit the moon since the Apollo program concluded in 1972. The selected astronauts include Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch from NASA, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.
Astronaut Profiles
Reid Wiseman, 47, brings experience as a decorated naval aviator and test pilot. He joined NASA’s astronaut program in 2009 and previously spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station during a mission launched via a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2014. After serving as chief of the astronaut office until November 2022, he is now set to lead the Artemis II crew as commander.
Jeremy Hansen, also 47, is a fighter pilot and one of only four active Canadian astronauts. Selected for training in 2009, he recently took charge of NASA’s new astronaut class, making him the first Canadian to command such a program. His upcoming role will see him become the first Canadian to venture into deep space.
Victor Glover, 46, returned to Earth in 2021 after a six-month stay on the International Space Station. He piloted SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft during its second crewed flight and has a military background spanning assignments in the U.S. and Japan. Glover, who was a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate before joining NASA in 2013, has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours across more than 40 aircraft, including 24 combat missions.
Christina Koch, 44, is renowned for her six spacewalks and setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, totaling 328 days. An electrical engineer, she contributed to the development of scientific instruments for NASA missions. Her time at the South Pole, which required enduring extreme conditions, is believed to have prepared her for the challenges of a lunar mission.
Artemis II Mission Details
The Artemis II flight will launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center using NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, propelling the crew beyond the moon’s orbit. The journey is expected to last approximately 10 days, with a potential distance exceeding previous human records, though specifics remain to be finalized. NASA’s spokesperson, Kathryn Hambleton, noted that the exact distance will depend on the launch date and the moon’s position relative to Earth.
Following the lunar flyby, the crew will return to Earth via a Pacific Ocean splashdown. This mission is seen as a critical step toward Artemis III, which aims to land the first woman and person of color on the moon by the late 2020s. Key technologies, such as spacesuits and a lunar lander, are still being developed to support these goals.
“It’s so much more than the four names that have been announced,” said Victor Glover during the Monday event at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We need to celebrate this moment in human history. … It is the next step in the journey that will get humanity to Mars.”
NASA’s Artemis I mission, an uncrewed test flight, successfully completed a 1.4 million-mile lunar orbit in December. The agency is currently analyzing data from that voyage to ensure the groundwork is solid for Artemis II. The upcoming crewed mission will test systems crucial for future deep-space exploration, including those needed for Artemis III’s lunar landing objectives.