NASA's Artemis II mission, set to launch in November 2024, will be crewed by four astronauts from the United States and Canada. The quartet includes Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot; Victor Glover, a naval aviator who piloted SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft; Christina Koch, an electrical engineer and veteran of six spacewalks; and Jeremy Hansen, a fighter pilot from the Canadian Space Agency.
For Wiseman, 47, this mission marks his second spaceflight, following a 165-day trip to the International Space Station in 2014. As commander of the Artemis II mission, he will lead the crew on their historic journey beyond the moon. Hansen, also 47, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
Glover, a native of California, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 after serving in the US Senate and completing test pilot training with the US Air Force. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station on his first spaceflight in 2021. Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks and holder of the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will join the crew as the second female astronaut to travel to deep space.
The mission is expected to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket. The crew will launch into space on November 2024 and embark on a journey that could potentially send them farther than any human has traveled before. The spacecraft will then return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis II mission is a crucial step towards NASA's long-term goal of establishing a permanent lunar outpost, with plans to send humans to Mars in the coming decades. This historic journey marks an important milestone in the space agency's efforts to expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit.
For Koch and her crewmates, the selection for this mission was a surreal experience. "It truly is an honor," she said in an interview with CNN. "It's 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."
For Wiseman, 47, this mission marks his second spaceflight, following a 165-day trip to the International Space Station in 2014. As commander of the Artemis II mission, he will lead the crew on their historic journey beyond the moon. Hansen, also 47, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
Glover, a native of California, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 after serving in the US Senate and completing test pilot training with the US Air Force. He spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station on his first spaceflight in 2021. Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks and holder of the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will join the crew as the second female astronaut to travel to deep space.
The mission is expected to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket. The crew will launch into space on November 2024 and embark on a journey that could potentially send them farther than any human has traveled before. The spacecraft will then return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Artemis II mission is a crucial step towards NASA's long-term goal of establishing a permanent lunar outpost, with plans to send humans to Mars in the coming decades. This historic journey marks an important milestone in the space agency's efforts to expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit.
For Koch and her crewmates, the selection for this mission was a surreal experience. "It truly is an honor," she said in an interview with CNN. "It's 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."
I think this NASA mission is gonna be huge! They're basically sending people back to the moon and then who knows? Maybe even Mars. 
It's like, we've been to space before, but now we're getting ready for some real next-level stuff. Four astronauts from the US and Canada are going on this wild ride and I'm rooting for them! They must be super prepared already since they have so much experience with space travel. And can you imagine what it's like to do a spacewalk? 
Christina Koch is a total rockstar with six of those under her belt! 
... I mean, they've been talking about sending humans to Mars for like 20 years now and still no actual progress. It's just a bunch of hype to get more funding for their space program 
. And what's with the whole "first Canadian to travel to deep space" thing? Jeremy Hansen is cool and all, but he's not exactly breaking new ground 
.
. Having a crew with such diverse backgrounds is awesome, I mean, we've got naval aviators, test pilots, and even a Canadian astronaut 
! The fact that Jeremy Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space is a huge deal 
. And Christina Koch's six spacewalks are crazy impressive 
. Let's get ready for lift off in November 2024! 
. Four astronauts from the US and Canada are about to embark on a historic journey that'll take them farther than anyone has gone before. I'm rooting for Jeremy Hansen, he's like the Canadian astronaut equivalent of a maple syrup superhero – sweet and strong 
. But seriously, it's awesome that there are four women and men involved in this mission, including Christina Koch who's got some serious spacewalk cred under her belt 
. I'm excited to see where they'll end up – Mars here we come! 
. And Christina Koch has done like 6 spacewalks in her time?! that's insane 
. Jeremy Hansen becoming the first Canadian in deep space tho is super lit 
! And can we talk about how amazing it is that we're seeing more women in space - Christina Koch and all those other female astronauts are truly inspiring 
, I need to know more about this mission!
its not just about them tho, its also about all the people who are working behind the scenes to make this happen 
. i just know this is gonna be an epic journey for all of us to watch and learn from 
. what do u think?
I'm thinking NASA's Artemis II mission is gonna be EPIC 
! Four astronauts from US & Canada are about to embark on an incredible journey beyond the moon 
. I'm hyped to see what's next for NASA and humanity