NASA's Four-Man Crew for First Lunar Mission Since Apollo in Five Decades Revealed
In a historic announcement, NASA has officially revealed the four astronauts who will helm the agency's first crewed moon mission since the Apollo era. The quartet - consisting of American Reid Wiseman and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, alongside Americans Victor Glover and Christina Koch - will embark on the Artemis II lunar flyby in November 2024.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, was selected by NASA in 2009 and has completed one prior spaceflight. He will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Hansen, also a fighter pilot, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and recently became the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts.
Glover, a naval aviator who spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station, will join Wiseman on the mission. Koch, an electrical engineer and veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, rounds out the crew. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
According to NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton, the exact distance beyond the Moon will depend on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from the Earth at the time of the mission. The spacecraft will return to Earth after circling the moon for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis II mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which NASA has vowed will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface later this decade. However, much of the technology required for the mission - including spacesuits for walking on the moon and a lunar lander to ferry astronauts to the moon's surface - is still in development.
The crew selection process was shrouded in secrecy until recently, but NASA Director Vanessa Wyche emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew. "They all have the right stuff," she said. "We have requirements different than we did when we just had test pilots."
In a historic announcement, NASA has officially revealed the four astronauts who will helm the agency's first crewed moon mission since the Apollo era. The quartet - consisting of American Reid Wiseman and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, alongside Americans Victor Glover and Christina Koch - will embark on the Artemis II lunar flyby in November 2024.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, was selected by NASA in 2009 and has completed one prior spaceflight. He will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Hansen, also a fighter pilot, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and recently became the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts.
Glover, a naval aviator who spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station, will join Wiseman on the mission. Koch, an electrical engineer and veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, rounds out the crew. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
According to NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton, the exact distance beyond the Moon will depend on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from the Earth at the time of the mission. The spacecraft will return to Earth after circling the moon for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis II mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which NASA has vowed will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface later this decade. However, much of the technology required for the mission - including spacesuits for walking on the moon and a lunar lander to ferry astronauts to the moon's surface - is still in development.
The crew selection process was shrouded in secrecy until recently, but NASA Director Vanessa Wyche emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew. "They all have the right stuff," she said. "We have requirements different than we did when we just had test pilots."
! This crew is literally the coolest thing ever - Reid Wiseman is a total rockstar for being a naval aviator and test pilot 
, Jeremy Hansen is like the ultimate Canadian astronaut 
, Victor Glover is so brave to have spent 6 months in space 
, and Christina Koch is literally a record-breaker with those six spacewalks 
! I'm hyped for this mission - can't wait to see what they achieve on that Artemis II flyby 
. And omg, the fact that NASA is working towards putting the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface later this decade is giving me LIFE 
. Let's get ready for some major space travel milestones in 2024!
Can't believe it's been 5 decades since humans were last on the moon 
. Four astronauts? That's cute. They're basically just glorified tourists in space 
. Reid Wiseman is literally the only name that sounds remotely impressive... maybe it's just because he's got some military cred under his belt 
. And what's up with the Canadian representation 
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you know what's crazy though? how much tech is being developed for this lunar mission and stuff... like, have you seen those new space suits they're making? insane! but i digress, back to the pizza... have you tried that new spot downtown? their slices are out of this world 
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it's awesome to see canadian jeremy hansen on board