The four astronauts NASA picked for the first crewed moon mission in 50 years

NASA's Artemis II mission is set to take off in November 2024, marking the first crewed moon mission in over five decades. Four astronauts have been chosen for the historic flight: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.

Wiseman, a 47-year-old naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. He has previously flown on the International Space Station and was part of NASA's astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022. Wiseman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and holds a decorated background.

Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator, returned to Earth from his first spaceflight in 2021 after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station. He was part of NASA's astronaut corps since 2013 and logged over 3,000 hours in more than 40 aircraft.

Christina Koch, a 44-year-old veteran astronaut, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with a total of 328 days in space. She has completed six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. Koch is also an electrical engineer who helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions.

Jeremy Hansen, a 47-year-old fighter pilot from Canada, will be the first Canadian to travel to deep space. He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009 and recently became the first Canadian to lead training for a new class of NASA astronauts.

The Artemis II mission is expected to last about 10 days and will send the crew out beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled in history. The spacecraft will then return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.

The four astronauts have been selected based on their diverse backgrounds and qualifications, with NASA aiming to include men and women from underrepresented groups in its missions. An interview with the four astronauts will air on CNN's "This Morning" on Tuesday.

NASA has been seeking to return people to the moon for over a decade, with the Artemis program designed to pave the way for establishing a permanent lunar outpost and eventually sending humans to Mars. The Artemis III mission is expected to take off later this decade but may be delayed due to ongoing technological development and testing.

Just thinkin' about these four astronauts... Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen... what an amazing team they are ! I mean, can you believe we're actually gettin' close to goin' back to the moon? It's been ages since we last had a crewed mission up there. And now, with this Artemis II mission, it's not just about returnin' humans to the moon, but also set-tin' the stage for somethin' way bigger - establishin' a permanent lunar outpost and eventually sendin' humans to Mars ! Christina Koch is still mind-blowin' me with her record-breaking spaceflight, and Jeremy Hansen's gonna be the first Canuck in deep space... what an honor . I just can't wait to see these astronauts do their thing and make history again .

omg can u believe these 4 astronauts are finally going to make it around the moon! i've been following nasa's progress for a while now, and this is like the ultimate test of their skills. Reid wiseman seems pretty cool, been on the iss before, but what's really exciting is jeremy hansen becoming the 1st canadian in deep space . and it's awesome that they're trying to include more diverse ppl in these missions. we need to see how this all plays out!

You know what's crazy about all this? It's that it took five decades for NASA to get back on track, but now they're moving at lightning speed . The thing is, sometimes we gotta take a step back and assess where we are before we can start moving forward. That's kinda like Reid Wiseman coming off the International Space Station – he had some solid experience under his belt before getting selected for Artemis II.

It makes you wonder about all the what-ifs, right? Like, if Wiseman hadn't stepped down in '22, would he still be part of this mission? It's a reminder that life's full of twists and turns, but with every setback comes an opportunity to learn and grow.

omg can't believe we're finally gonna go back to the moon ! I'm so hyped about this, it's like a dream come true for space enthusiasts like me. the fact that they've chosen astronauts from diverse backgrounds is amazing - it's all about representation and making sure everyone gets a chance to be part of something historic

Reid Wiseman as commander? yes please! he seems like an awesome dude, I love that he has experience flying planes and being part of the space station crew. Christina Koch's story is so inspiring too - 328 days in space? girl you're a rockstar !

I'm also super stoked that Jeremy Hansen is going to be the first Canadian in deep space ! it's amazing to see countries working together and pushing boundaries. fingers crossed for a successful mission and maybe even getting some awesome space selfies

I'm so stoked for these astronauts! I mean, can you believe it's been over 50 years since we last had a crewed moon mission? It's amazing that NASA has got some talented folks lined up for this historic flight. Reid Wiseman seems like an awesome commander - all those years of flying experience will definitely come in handy on this mission. And Jeremy Hansen, being the first Canadian to travel to deep space is just cool . I hope they have some epic conversations with CNN's This Morning crew afterwards! The fact that NASA is trying to get more people from underrepresented groups on these missions is really great to see too. It's not just about getting humans back on the moon, it's about pushing boundaries and inspiring a new generation of space explorers

Yooo, I'm hyped about this NASA Artemis II mission! Can you imagine seeing the Earth from the moon's surface? It gives me goosebumps . The fact that we're getting four diverse astronauts on board is a huge step forward for inclusivity - it's like, if you wanna go to space, no matter where you're from or who you are, you got this! Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - what a team! And the fact that they'll be venturing further than anyone has before is just mind-blowing... I mean, have we even thought about the potential discoveries they could make?

man... i'm so hyped about this NASA thingy , but it makes me think of when i was a kid watching armstrong and elon's musk go to the moon back in '69 and 2008 lol... now we got four awesome astronauts gonna take us further than anyone has before! Reid Wiseman is like the ultimate american hero, flying planes and stuff . And Christina Koch holding that record for longest spaceflight by a woman? girl power . Jeremy Hansen being the first canadian in deep space is fire ... it's crazy to think we're gonna have humans traveling to mars one day . i just hope they bring back some moon rocks and not just a bunch of selfies

The fact that we're getting a crewed moon mission after so long, its awesome ... But also kinda mind-blowing how much tech & resources have gone into just sending people back to the moon ... Like, what's next? Mars? The diversity of the selected astronauts is definitely something to celebrate . It's about time we had more representation from underrepresented groups in space exploration ... Anyways, I'm hyped for November 2024 and the possibility of witnessing history unfold live

I think it's so cool that NASA is finally getting back on track with their moon missions . These four astronauts are like total rockstars - Reid Wiseman has flown in some of the most advanced planes, Victor Glover was part of a super successful SpaceX mission , Christina Koch broke all sorts of records for longest spaceflight, and Jeremy Hansen is gonna be the first Canuck to go deep space . It's awesome that NASA is trying to include people from underrepresented groups in their missions too - it's about time we had more diversity up there! The fact that they're planning to send the crew out further than anyone has traveled before is just mind-blowing . Can't wait for them to launch and make history

NASA's gonna send 4 astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon in Nov '24 , which sounds pretty cool I guess... But think about it, we've been sending guys to space for like 5 decades now & they're still trying to get it right? The last crewed mission went to the moon back in '69! So like what's the hurry? And have you seen the prices of a house in Maryland where Wiseman is from? Like, out of reach for most people. And NASA's been working on this Artemis program for ages but we're still waiting for them to figure out how to get humans to Mars without killing 'em...

I don’t usually comment but I'm super stoked about the upcoming Artemis II mission . It's like, we've been waiting for this moment for so long and now it's finally happening. The fact that NASA is trying to include people from underrepresented groups in their missions is really cool too . It's not just about the science or the tech, it's also about making sure everyone gets a chance to be part of something amazing.

And can you even believe Jeremy Hansen is going to be the first Canadian to travel to deep space? That's like, whoa! I'm curious to see how he's going to do on this mission. The fact that Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman is also super inspiring .

I don't know about you guys but I think this mission is going to be a game-changer. It's not just about going back to the moon, it's about what we can learn and achieve from it. And who knows, maybe one day we'll even have a permanent lunar outpost . The possibilities are endless!

omg, can you believe we're finally gonna see humans back on the moon in like 2 yrs ?! i'm low-key hyped but also kinda worried about what tech challenges they'll face. 328 days is a looong time in space btw - christina koch is a total legend and it's awesome that we're getting more diverse crews on these missions, too! canada rep jeremy hansen can't wait to see what canadian ingenuity brings to the table

I don’t usually comment but I gotta say, it’s wild that they’re choosing these 4 astronauts based on their diverse backgrounds... Reid Wiseman being a naval aviator and test pilot, Glover with his SpaceX experience, Christina Koch as the longest single spaceflight holder by a woman, and Jeremy Hansen from Canada... it's like NASA wants to make sure everyone has an equal shot at going to the moon . I mean, this Artemis II mission is gonna be historic for more than just the fact that they're the first crewed moon mission in over 50 years, it’s also a sign of things to come with the long-term goal of establishing a permanent lunar outpost and eventually sending humans to Mars . What I find even more cool though is that NASA's trying to make sure these astronauts represent everyone, regardless of their background... it feels like they're breaking down barriers in space exploration

november 2024 can't come soon enough lol , i'm hyped for the artemis II mission! it's amazing to see all these talented astronauts being selected for this historic flight, their diverse backgrounds and qualifications are exactly what nasa needs to make this program a success. but, let's be real, 10 days is just a tiny fraction of time we've been waiting for humans to return to the moon...it feels like it's taken forever . also, the fact that jeremy hansen will be the first canadian in deep space is awesome! canada deserves some space love . but, has anyone thought about the long-term consequences of having a permanent lunar outpost? what kind of impact will it have on our planet and future generations? we need to think about the bigger picture here .

The moon thing is back ! Been waiting for ages for NASA to get its act together. Four awesome astronauts, different backgrounds, all ready to make some history. Wiseman's experience on the ISS will come in handy, Glover's got that spaceflight taste, Koch's breaking records left and right, and Hansen's gonna be our first Canadian in deep space ! 10 days is a long time for anyone, let alone in space. Hope they're all prepped and ready for the ride. This Artemis thing might just get us back to Mars sooner than we think

OMG can u believe its finally happening!!! like, we're actually gonna go back 2 the moon with a crewed mission!! i've been following nasa's progress 4eva & its surreal 2 see these 4 awesome ppl gettin ready 2 take on this historic mission. Reid Wiseman is low-key my favorite cos he's got such an inspiring story, from naval aviator to space commander & Christina Koch is like a total boss, holdin that record 4 longest single spaceflight by a woman ! nasa's doin it right, includin diverse ppl from underrepresented groups, which is so important 4 our future in space exploration

OMG u guys 2024 cant come soon enough ! NASA's Artemis II mission is gonna be epic , like whoa first crewed moon mission in over 50 yrs ! Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch & Jeremy Hansen are my faves they're all so talented & diverse backgrounds . Can't wait to see them blast off into space & make history ! NASA's got this #ArtemisII #SpaceX #NASA

oh man, i'm so hyped about the artemis ii mission it's been ages since we've had a crewed moon mission and now nasa's finally getting back on track. i love that they're choosing astronauts from diverse backgrounds - it's about time we have more representation up there!

i'm curious, what do you think is the biggest challenge these astronauts will face on their mission? will it be the physical challenges of space travel or the mental strain of being in a new environment for so long? i also wonder if they'll get to try out any cool new technologies that nasa's been working on.

and have you seen the videos of christina koch's record-breaking spaceflight? she's literally a hero! what do you think about jermey hansen being the first canadian in deep space - that's so cool!