NASA has selected four astronauts to embark on the first crewed moon mission in over five decades. The quartet, set to begin training for the historic Artemis II lunar flyby, comprises Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA, alongside Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he's previously completed one spaceflight, a 165-day stint on the International Space Station. As chief of the astronaut office, Wiseman made him eligible for a flight assignment before stepping down in November 2022.
Hansen, a fighter pilot selected by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009, will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. As one of only four active Canadian astronauts, Hansen recently became the first Canadian to lead NASA's astronaut training program.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator who returned to Earth after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station, described the announcement as "a moment in human history." Born in Pomona, California, Glover has logged over 3,000 flight hours and completed test pilot training with the US Air Force.
Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. As an electrical engineer who helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions, Koch spent a year at the South Pole – an arduous stay that could prepare her for the intensity of a moon mission.
The Artemis II mission will build on the success of the uncrewed test mission that sent NASA's Orion capsule on a 1.4 million-mile journey around the moon in December. The crew of four astronauts will embark on a 10-day journey, potentially traveling further than any human has traveled in history.
After circling the moon, the spacecraft will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. Artemis II 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.
Picking the astronauts was a deliberate process that aimed to achieve diversity. The director of NASA's Johnson Space Center declined to provide details about the selection process but emphasized the crew's diverse backgrounds.
The four astronauts will be featured in an upcoming interview on CNN This Morning, which starts at 6 am ET.
Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he's previously completed one spaceflight, a 165-day stint on the International Space Station. As chief of the astronaut office, Wiseman made him eligible for a flight assignment before stepping down in November 2022.
Hansen, a fighter pilot selected by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009, will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. As one of only four active Canadian astronauts, Hansen recently became the first Canadian to lead NASA's astronaut training program.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator who returned to Earth after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station, described the announcement as "a moment in human history." Born in Pomona, California, Glover has logged over 3,000 flight hours and completed test pilot training with the US Air Force.
Koch, a veteran of six spacewalks including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. As an electrical engineer who helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions, Koch spent a year at the South Pole – an arduous stay that could prepare her for the intensity of a moon mission.
The Artemis II mission will build on the success of the uncrewed test mission that sent NASA's Orion capsule on a 1.4 million-mile journey around the moon in December. The crew of four astronauts will embark on a 10-day journey, potentially traveling further than any human has traveled in history.
After circling the moon, the spacecraft will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. Artemis II 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.
Picking the astronauts was a deliberate process that aimed to achieve diversity. The director of NASA's Johnson Space Center declined to provide details about the selection process but emphasized the crew's diverse backgrounds.
The four astronauts will be featured in an upcoming interview on CNN This Morning, which starts at 6 am ET.
! I'm hyped for these four awesome astronauts - Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy 
. Wiseman is gonna lead the charge as commander, and I think he's got the skills to get the job done. Hansen's going to be a trailblazer for Canada in deep space, that's so cool 
! And can you believe Koch's got 6 spacewalks under her belt? That girl is a total rockstar 
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. I mean, we've gotta keep pushing the boundaries of space exploration and what can we learn from each other? The fact that Artemis II is paving the way for an all-female lunar landing mission later this decade is just incredible 
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. Just thinking about it is making me anxious! Can we talk more about the crew's training plan in the comments below 
! NASA finally got its act together and selected some awesome astronauts for this epic mission to the moon 
! Reid Wiseman is literally the total boss as commander, with his naval aviator skills and space station experience 
! Christina Koch is an total genius as an electrical engineer and holds that super cool record for longest single spaceflight by a woman 
. And Jeremy Hansen, yaaas, he's the first Canadian to travel to deep space, making him a true pioneer in space exploration 
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I'm still skeptical about this whole moon mission thing... like, what's the point of sending a bunch of people to the moon when there are so many pressing issues on Earth? 
Have they considered the environmental impact of all these space travelers? And what about the costs? We're already dealing with astronomical healthcare bills and student loan debt, do we really need to be spending billions on a lunar expedition? 
and Jeremy Hansen being the first canadian to travel to deep space is awesome too! 
and it's not just about having a diverse crew, but also about creating opportunities for underrepresented groups in the space industry.
. and glover's enthusiasm is infectious! 
can't wait to see these 4 astronauts embark on their journey and make history together 
and test pilot experience - that's some serious training right there! I love how diverse this crew is, too - it's like we're finally taking a giant leap for mankind in more ways than one 
. Christina Koch's spacewalk record is mind-blowing (and we still don't have many female astronauts?!), and Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian to travel to deep space is super cool 
. I'm so stoked for Artemis II - who knows what they'll discover on that 10-day journey? 
just thinking about this mission and it's giving me goosebumps! 
we're talking a mix of experience, skills & youth here. 3k+ flight hours from Glover alone, that's insane 
& Koch's spacewalk record is 
what I'm most hyped about tho is the diversity factor - this mission is all about representation, it's gonna be lit! 
. The idea of traveling further than any human has traveled in history is mind-blowing – can't wait to see the stunning footage from space 
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. And let's be real, having a Canadian astronaut on board is a huge deal, it's like we're making progress towards global collaboration in space exploration 
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