NASA has chosen four astronauts to embark on the first crewed moon mission in nearly five decades. The quartet, comprising Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, will helm the historic Artemis II lunar flyby set to launch around November 2024.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot from Maryland, was selected as commander of the mission. He previously spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, making him eligible for flight assignment after stepping down as chief of the astronaut office in November 2022.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot with the Canadian Space Agency and one of only four active Canadian astronauts. He will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space and has recently taken charge of training for new NASA astronauts.
Glover, a naval aviator from California, returned to Earth after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station in 2021. Koch, an electrical engineer from Michigan, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days in space.
The four astronauts will embark on a journey that could take up to 10 days, sending them out beyond the moon and potentially further than any human has traveled before. The exact distance depends on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from Earth at the time of the mission.
Upon completion of their lunar flyby, the crew will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. This mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission later this decade, which aims to put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. The Artemis program seeks to establish a permanent lunar outpost and eventually send humans to Mars.
The diversity of the Artemis II crew reflects NASA's efforts to include astronauts from different backgrounds. "I can tell you, they still all have the right stuff," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The four astronauts will appear on CNN's "This Morning" in an interview set to air next Tuesday.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot from Maryland, was selected as commander of the mission. He previously spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, making him eligible for flight assignment after stepping down as chief of the astronaut office in November 2022.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot with the Canadian Space Agency and one of only four active Canadian astronauts. He will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space and has recently taken charge of training for new NASA astronauts.
Glover, a naval aviator from California, returned to Earth after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station in 2021. Koch, an electrical engineer from Michigan, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days in space.
The four astronauts will embark on a journey that could take up to 10 days, sending them out beyond the moon and potentially further than any human has traveled before. The exact distance depends on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from Earth at the time of the mission.
Upon completion of their lunar flyby, the crew will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. This mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission later this decade, which aims to put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. The Artemis program seeks to establish a permanent lunar outpost and eventually send humans to Mars.
The diversity of the Artemis II crew reflects NASA's efforts to include astronauts from different backgrounds. "I can tell you, they still all have the right stuff," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The four astronauts will appear on CNN's "This Morning" in an interview set to air next Tuesday.
! I mean, we're talking about humans going back to the moon in like 5 years?! it's crazy to think about how far we've come since the last crewed mission was all those years ago...the Artemis program is really making progress and it's awesome to see people from different backgrounds coming together for this historic mission 
. I'm super hyped to see Reid Wiseman as the commander, he seems like a total rockstar 
. And Jeremy Hansen becoming the first Canadian in deep space? that's amazing 
. Let's hope they make it even further than they're aiming for and open up new possibilities for space exploration...the future is looking bright!
. I mean, we've been talking about returning to the moon for years now and yet it feels like we're just catching up with some of our space pioneer work from the 70s 
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. And I'm glad to see Christina Koch on this crew, her record for longest single spaceflight is definitely inspiring for other female astronauts out there 
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the fact that we're getting a new crew for the moon mission is just amazing!!! i'm loving the diversity of the team too, it's like nasa is really trying to get everyone on board (pun intended) 
and can you even believe christina koch has broken records by spending 328 days in space?!? that's crazy!! and victor glover piloting crew dragon was just a glimpse into his awesome skills 
anyway, i'm totally stoked for this mission and all it brings to the future of space exploration 
So I'm thinking about this new crew and I gotta say its kinda awesome to see diversity up in space 
! Reid Wiseman is like the ultimate space veteran, having flown 165 days on the ISS back in 2014 
. And then there's Jeremy Hansen from Canada who's gonna be the first Canadian in deep space 
. Then theres Christina Koch and Victor Glover, both with crazy long spaceflight records 
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. And who knows maybe one day we'll have a lunar outpost and be sending humans to Mars 
. I wonder what they'll see out there... will they be able to draw some sweet space diagrams like I do 
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their BBQ pulled pork sandwich is fire 
and omg can you believe canada has an astronaut 
anyway i guess the artemis program is all about making space travel more diverse 
i'm excited to watch that cnn interview next tuesday 