NASA Selects Four Astronauts for Historic Moon Mission in Five Decades
The wait is finally over as NASA has revealed the names of its four astronauts who will embark on a historic crewed mission to the moon in five decades. The Artemis II lunar flyby, set to take off in November 2024, marks the first time humans will return to the moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972.
The selected astronauts are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Each of them brings a unique set of skills and experiences that will be crucial for this mission.
Reid Wiseman, who is also the commander of the Artemis II mission, is a decorated naval aviator and test pilot with extensive experience in space travel. He has completed one previous spaceflight, a 165-day trip to the International Space Station. In contrast, Hansen, the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts, will make history as he becomes the first Canadian ever to travel to deep space.
Victor Glover, who will join Wiseman on the mission, is a naval aviator with extensive experience flying the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station in 2021 and has logged over 3,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 aircraft.
Christina Koch, the fourth astronaut selected for this historic mission, is an electrical engineer who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with a total of 328 days in space. She completed six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.
The four astronauts will embark on a journey that promises to be one of the most significant milestones in human space exploration history. They will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and take off into space for approximately 10 days. The mission will send them beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term as NASA and its partners map a path to sending humans to Mars. With this historic mission, NASA is taking another giant leap for humanity's future in space exploration.
But how did the four astronauts get selected for this monumental task? The process was shrouded in secrecy until recently when NASA director Vanessa Wyche revealed some details. While she declined to provide further information about the selection process, she emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew and said that each astronaut has been deemed "ready" based on their unique skills and experiences.
The astronauts themselves have expressed their excitement and gratitude upon receiving their historic assignment. Koch described it as an honor not just for her but also because it's amazing to be part of this team going back to the moon and onward to Mars.
The wait is finally over as NASA has revealed the names of its four astronauts who will embark on a historic crewed mission to the moon in five decades. The Artemis II lunar flyby, set to take off in November 2024, marks the first time humans will return to the moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972.
The selected astronauts are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Each of them brings a unique set of skills and experiences that will be crucial for this mission.
Reid Wiseman, who is also the commander of the Artemis II mission, is a decorated naval aviator and test pilot with extensive experience in space travel. He has completed one previous spaceflight, a 165-day trip to the International Space Station. In contrast, Hansen, the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts, will make history as he becomes the first Canadian ever to travel to deep space.
Victor Glover, who will join Wiseman on the mission, is a naval aviator with extensive experience flying the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station in 2021 and has logged over 3,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 aircraft.
Christina Koch, the fourth astronaut selected for this historic mission, is an electrical engineer who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with a total of 328 days in space. She completed six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.
The four astronauts will embark on a journey that promises to be one of the most significant milestones in human space exploration history. They will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and take off into space for approximately 10 days. The mission will send them beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term as NASA and its partners map a path to sending humans to Mars. With this historic mission, NASA is taking another giant leap for humanity's future in space exploration.
But how did the four astronauts get selected for this monumental task? The process was shrouded in secrecy until recently when NASA director Vanessa Wyche revealed some details. While she declined to provide further information about the selection process, she emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew and said that each astronaut has been deemed "ready" based on their unique skills and experiences.
The astronauts themselves have expressed their excitement and gratitude upon receiving their historic assignment. Koch described it as an honor not just for her but also because it's amazing to be part of this team going back to the moon and onward to Mars.
This is so cool, can't believe we're getting back to the moon in 5 decades 
! I'm really hyped for Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch & Jeremy Hansen - each of them brings something unique to the table. Hansen's gonna be the first Canadian in deep space, that's a big deal! 
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Christina Koch holding that record for longest single spaceflight by a woman is giving me major goosebumps 
And Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian in deep space? Mind. Blown. 
The diversity of this crew is what gets me most excited – we're talking women, people of color, Canadians... the whole world is represented! 
This is truly an historic moment, and I'm so grateful that we get to witness it unfold. Bring on the Artemis II mission in November 2024! 
and Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to go deep space... talk about making history! 
but seriously, having a diverse crew like this one for their historic mission is super cool. Christina Koch's record-breaking spaceflight is insane, and Jeremy Hansen's gonna be the first Canadian in deep space, that's awesome! 
. I'm low-key hyped for Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - they all seem super talented and ready for this mission 
And Christina, girl, you're a total space trailblazer with that record-breaking single spaceflight 
. The Artemis program is all about establishing a permanent lunar outpost and eventually sending humans to Mars - it's like the ultimate space adventure 
. Can't wait to see what this mission brings! 
finally we're gonna see some real progress in space exploration 
. And now we get to see them actually go through with it in 5 years? Fingers crossed they don't mess it up 
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. Hansen's Canadian roots are cool, I guess, but let's be real, who wouldn't want to explore space 
, and if anyone can make history on this trip, it's her 
. We're talking about the moon, for crying out loud! It's been ages since we've had a crewed mission like this 
these nasa astronauts are literally legends in the making! Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch & Jeremy Hansen each bring so much expertise to this mission 
That's just amazing! And let's not forget about Christina's record-breaking spaceflight - 328 DAYS IN SPACE?!