NASA Names Four Astronauts for Historic Lunar Mission in 50 Years
In a historic moment, NASA has selected four astronauts for the first crewed moon mission in over five decades. The quartet includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
The mission, dubbed Artemis II, is scheduled to launch in November 2024 and will send the crew on a 10-day journey beyond the moon, marking the first time humans have traveled further than any previous spaceflight. The crew will then return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. A veteran of one prior spaceflight, Wiseman completed a 165-day stay on the International Space Station in 2014. He recently stepped down as chief of NASA's astronaut office before being selected for this historic mission.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot who was chosen by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009. This will be his first deep space mission, making him the first Canadian to travel to space.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator, returned from his first spaceflight in 2021 after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station.
Koch, a 44-year-old veteran of six spacewalks, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with over 328 days in space. Koch is also an electrical engineer who helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions.
"We need to celebrate this moment in human history," said Glover during the announcement at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It's the next step in the journey that will get humanity to Mars."
The Artemis II mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is planned for later this decade and will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.
The selection process was shrouded in secrecy, but NASA officials emphasized the diversity of the crew. "We have requirements different than we did when we just had test pilots," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. An interview with the four astronauts will air on CNN's "This Morning" on Tuesday.
For Koch, being part of this historic team is an honor in itself. "It truly is an honor... not to get myself into space, but because it's amazing to be a part of this team that's going back to the moon and on to Mars."
In a historic moment, NASA has selected four astronauts for the first crewed moon mission in over five decades. The quartet includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
The mission, dubbed Artemis II, is scheduled to launch in November 2024 and will send the crew on a 10-day journey beyond the moon, marking the first time humans have traveled further than any previous spaceflight. The crew will then return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. A veteran of one prior spaceflight, Wiseman completed a 165-day stay on the International Space Station in 2014. He recently stepped down as chief of NASA's astronaut office before being selected for this historic mission.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot who was chosen by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009. This will be his first deep space mission, making him the first Canadian to travel to space.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator, returned from his first spaceflight in 2021 after piloting the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station.
Koch, a 44-year-old veteran of six spacewalks, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with over 328 days in space. Koch is also an electrical engineer who helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions.
"We need to celebrate this moment in human history," said Glover during the announcement at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It's the next step in the journey that will get humanity to Mars."
The Artemis II mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is planned for later this decade and will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.
The selection process was shrouded in secrecy, but NASA officials emphasized the diversity of the crew. "We have requirements different than we did when we just had test pilots," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. An interview with the four astronauts will air on CNN's "This Morning" on Tuesday.
For Koch, being part of this historic team is an honor in itself. "It truly is an honor... not to get myself into space, but because it's amazing to be a part of this team that's going back to the moon and on to Mars."
This is insane how far we've come since 50 years ago when humans last set foot on the moon. It's awesome that NASA has finally picked a diverse crew for Artemis II, but I wonder if they're overestimating the complexity of the mission. 10 days in space is already pushing limits, and then there's the whole Mars thing... let's not forget we still have to deal with climate change on Earth 
. And now, we've got an incredible team of astronauts ready to make history again - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are my heroes 
! The fact that this mission is expected to pave the way for a woman and person of color to set foot on the lunar surface in Artemis III is just amazing 
. NASA's diversity requirements have clearly paid off, and I'm so excited to see what other milestones they'll achieve 
I'm hoping we'll see some cool stuff from them on this mission. And it's awesome that there's diversity in the crew too - Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian to go to space is a big deal! 
Let's get ready for some out-of-this-world action!
I was kinda hoping there'd still be some buzz around this one lol, but I guess it's been months since they announced the crew 
. Anyway, what really got me thinking is how cool it'll be for the next gen to grow up with space travel being a thing again 
. And I'm curious to see how the Canadian Space Agency is handling this... being a part of it after all these years must be surreal for Hansen 
! Like, can you imagine being part of the first crewed mission to the moon in like, 50 years?! Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are literally the coolest astronauts ever - they're all so talented and accomplished. And the fact that Jeremy is the first Canadian to go to space is amazing 
! I'm also loving how NASA is emphasizing diversity on this crew - it's like, totally about time we had a more inclusive space program 
. And can we talk about Christina Koch for a sec? She's like, literally the ultimate boss lady - six spacewalks and over 328 days in space?! 
I'm so hyped to see what this mission accomplishes and where it'll take us next... maybe even to Mars?! 
No details about what makes each astronaut qualified for this mission beyond their space credentials. It's like they're hiding something... or someone. 
It's like she's trying to avoid something. We need more transparency here, folks! 
. And let's not forget Artemis III, which could potentially make history with the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface 
. NASA's diversity requirements are a huge plus, can't wait to see what other cool things they're planning 
Artemis II is gonna be EPIC!!! We need to see those astronauts on that lunar surface ASAP! 
Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy are like the ultimate space squad! 
And Christina's record for longest single spaceflight is insane!!!