NASA Unveils Crew for First Crewed Moon Mission in Over 50 Years, Paving the Way for Historic Artemis II and Mars Exploration.
For the first time in over five decades, NASA has announced its crew for the Artemis II mission, a historic lunar flyby set to launch in November 2024. The team of four astronauts includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, marking a significant step towards returning humans to the moon and paving the way for a manned mission to Mars.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. He was first selected by NASA in 2009 and completed one prior spaceflight on the International Space Station in 2014. Wiseman has extensive experience as a flight instructor and was chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022.
Glover, also 47 years old, is a seasoned naval aviator who spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station on his first spaceflight in 2021. Born in California, Glover logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft and served as a legislative fellow in the US Senate before being selected by NASA in 2013.
Koch, 44 years old, is a veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. As an electrical engineer, she helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with over 328 days in space.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot who was selected by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009. As one of only four active Canadian astronauts, Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space on this mission.
The Artemis II mission is expected to last around 10 days and will send the crew out beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before. The spacecraft will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean, paving the way for future lunar missions and ultimately sending humans to Mars.
NASA's director of Johnson Space Center, Vanessa Wyche, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, which includes men and women from various backgrounds. "We have requirements different than we did (when we) just had test pilots," she said. "They still all have the right stuff."
The astronauts revealed they were selected a few weeks ago and will be featured on an upcoming episode of "CNN This Morning." When asked about their reaction, Koch said being part of this team is an honor, adding that it's amazing to be a part of this historic mission.
With the Artemis II mission set to launch in November 2024, NASA is taking significant strides towards establishing a permanent lunar outpost and paving the way for human exploration of Mars. The crew's selection marks an exciting milestone in the agency's ambitious plans, as they prepare to embark on this historic journey and inspire future generations of space explorers.
For the first time in over five decades, NASA has announced its crew for the Artemis II mission, a historic lunar flyby set to launch in November 2024. The team of four astronauts includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, marking a significant step towards returning humans to the moon and paving the way for a manned mission to Mars.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. He was first selected by NASA in 2009 and completed one prior spaceflight on the International Space Station in 2014. Wiseman has extensive experience as a flight instructor and was chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022.
Glover, also 47 years old, is a seasoned naval aviator who spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station on his first spaceflight in 2021. Born in California, Glover logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft and served as a legislative fellow in the US Senate before being selected by NASA in 2013.
Koch, 44 years old, is a veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. As an electrical engineer, she helped develop scientific instruments for multiple NASA missions and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with over 328 days in space.
Hansen, also 47 years old, is a fighter pilot who was selected by the Canadian Space Agency for astronaut training in 2009. As one of only four active Canadian astronauts, Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space on this mission.
The Artemis II mission is expected to last around 10 days and will send the crew out beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before. The spacecraft will return to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean, paving the way for future lunar missions and ultimately sending humans to Mars.
NASA's director of Johnson Space Center, Vanessa Wyche, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, which includes men and women from various backgrounds. "We have requirements different than we did (when we) just had test pilots," she said. "They still all have the right stuff."
The astronauts revealed they were selected a few weeks ago and will be featured on an upcoming episode of "CNN This Morning." When asked about their reaction, Koch said being part of this team is an honor, adding that it's amazing to be a part of this historic mission.
With the Artemis II mission set to launch in November 2024, NASA is taking significant strides towards establishing a permanent lunar outpost and paving the way for human exploration of Mars. The crew's selection marks an exciting milestone in the agency's ambitious plans, as they prepare to embark on this historic journey and inspire future generations of space explorers.
- Reid, Victor, Christina & Jeremy are literally the coolest 
. I mean, who else gets to be part of a team that's gonna pave the way for MARS EXPLORATION?! 
And can we talk about how far this crew is gonna go? 10 days out beyond the moon? That's like, whoa 
! Bring on Artemis II & let's make some space history 
50 years without a manned mission to the moon is just crazy... I mean think about it 4 astronauts are gonna travel over 100k miles away from Earth, what if something goes wrong? 
they gotta have some serious backup plans in case of emergency... and what's with the lack of info on potential health risks? 
all this hype but I'm still not feeling it 
it's like, woah what a century lol! these astronauts are literally the crème de la crème, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - sounds like a super cool squad to me 
NASA's doin some serious legwork here, paving da way for Mars exploration and all dat 
gotta keep an eye on this mission, can't wait for da Artemis II launch in Nov 2024! 
just another step closer to returning humans to the moon and beyond 
! The fact that they're all seasoned space travelers with tons of experience is just mind-blowing 
. And let's not forget, this is just the beginning - we're talking Mars exploration here, folks 
It's like, we're paying for these astronauts to fly around the moon and prepare for Mars, but what about our problems back here on Earth? Shouldn't we be focusing on addressing poverty, climate change, or something? 
It's like, we've been waiting for so long to go back to the moon and now we're gonna have a whole new team of astronauts taking us on this epic journey! 
and Jeremy Hansen is about to become the first Canadian in deep space! 
And the crew selection is so diverse, it's awesome to see people from different backgrounds coming together to make history. I’m also loving the fact that they’re going beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before. This is just so exciting for the future of space exploration! 
. Four crew members, yeah, that's cool, but have you seen the design of those spacecraft? It looks like something straight out of a low-budget sci-fi film 
. I mean, come on, can't they get it together and make something that doesn't look like it was cobbled together from spare parts?
. What's going to happen when we find out how much money they're actually putting into this Artemis II mission? Mark my words, it's gonna be a huge disappointment 
.
this is so cool! NASA is really making progress with the Artemis II mission and finally returning humans to the moon after over 50 years 
... Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian to travel to deep space is also super cool 
can you imagine the amazing discoveries they'll make on that mission? 
and to think, this is just the beginning - Mars exploration is within our grasp now! 
️ let's keep cheering these incredible astronauts on and sending them off into space with all our love & support 
