NASA's Four-Astronaut Crew for Historic Moon Mission Revealed, Paving Way for Artemis III and First Woman on the Lunar Surface in Decades
In a historic announcement, NASA has revealed its four astronauts who will helm the first crewed moon mission in five decades. The quartet includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, all of whom are set to embark on the Artemis II lunar flyby mission later this year.
Commander Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot with one prior spaceflight under his belt, will lead the crew. The 47-year-old Baltimore native has also served as chief of NASA's astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022, making him eligible for flight assignment.
Meanwhile, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, also 47 years old, is set to become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. A fighter pilot with extensive experience, Hansen will be part of a diverse crew that marks a significant shift from NASA's traditional test-pilot-dominated missions.
The other two astronauts on board are Victor Glover and Christina Koch. Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator with nearly six months of experience in space after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, will be part of a historic mission that aims to send humans back to the moon for the first time in over four decades.
Christina Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks and holder of the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space, is set to join an elite group of astronauts who have spent extensive periods in space. Her experience as an engineer and her work on developing scientific instruments will be invaluable to the mission.
The Artemis II mission is set to launch around November 2024 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a predicted journey time of about 10 days. The crew will embark on a historic journey that will take them beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before. After completing their lunar flyby, they will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost and pave the way for sending humans to Mars. The mission marked a significant milestone in NASA's plans to diversify its astronaut corps, with a diverse crew that includes men and women from various backgrounds.
When asked about the selection process, Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, noting that it marks a shift away from traditional test-pilot dominated missions. Koch, who discovered her selection a few weeks ago, expressed her speechless honor at being part of this historic team, adding that she feels proud to be a part of a mission that will pave the way for humans to travel to Mars.
An interview with the four astronauts will air on "CNN This Morning" on Tuesday, marking an exciting moment in the countdown to Artemis II.
In a historic announcement, NASA has revealed its four astronauts who will helm the first crewed moon mission in five decades. The quartet includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, all of whom are set to embark on the Artemis II lunar flyby mission later this year.
Commander Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot with one prior spaceflight under his belt, will lead the crew. The 47-year-old Baltimore native has also served as chief of NASA's astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022, making him eligible for flight assignment.
Meanwhile, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, also 47 years old, is set to become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. A fighter pilot with extensive experience, Hansen will be part of a diverse crew that marks a significant shift from NASA's traditional test-pilot-dominated missions.
The other two astronauts on board are Victor Glover and Christina Koch. Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator with nearly six months of experience in space after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, will be part of a historic mission that aims to send humans back to the moon for the first time in over four decades.
Christina Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks and holder of the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space, is set to join an elite group of astronauts who have spent extensive periods in space. Her experience as an engineer and her work on developing scientific instruments will be invaluable to the mission.
The Artemis II mission is set to launch around November 2024 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a predicted journey time of about 10 days. The crew will embark on a historic journey that will take them beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before. After completing their lunar flyby, they will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost and pave the way for sending humans to Mars. The mission marked a significant milestone in NASA's plans to diversify its astronaut corps, with a diverse crew that includes men and women from various backgrounds.
When asked about the selection process, Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, noting that it marks a shift away from traditional test-pilot dominated missions. Koch, who discovered her selection a few weeks ago, expressed her speechless honor at being part of this historic team, adding that she feels proud to be a part of a mission that will pave the way for humans to travel to Mars.
An interview with the four astronauts will air on "CNN This Morning" on Tuesday, marking an exciting moment in the countdown to Artemis II.
so cool about this new crew for the moon mission... been following NASA's updates and it's great to see a diverse team of astronauts like that. Christina Koch is like a total rockstar with those six spacewalks under her belt 
, and Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian in deep space is awesome too 
can't wait for Artemis II to launch... hope they make it to Mars one day!
about this historic moon mission! The fact that we're finally going back to the moon after decades is just amazing 
And can you believe we've got a diverse crew on board? It's so cool to see men and women from different backgrounds coming together to make history 
I'm especially stoked for Christina Koch, she's a total boss 
with her record-breaking spaceflight and all! 
And Jeremy Hansen is about to make some major waves as the first Canadian in deep space 
It's going to be a wild ride watching these astronauts embark on this incredible journey 
. And what about the risks to these astronauts? Space travel is still a high-risk activity, especially for a crew that's basically being sent on a glorified joyride.
. What are we really achieving with this Artemis program? And what's the real plan for establishing a permanent lunar outpost? It sounds like a lot of hype to me 
I mean, can't wait to see them in action and learn more about their experiences in space. The fact that Christina Koch is part of this team is amazing too, she's been on like six spacewalks already 
Jeremy Hansen as the first Canadian in deep space is super cool too!