NASA has selected four astronauts to lead the first crewed mission to the moon in nearly five decades. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will embark on the Artemis II lunar flyby mission, which is set to launch in November 2024.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, was first selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009. He served as chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in 2022, making him eligible for a flight assignment. Wiseman will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission.
Glover, also 47 years old, is a seasoned naval aviator with extensive experience in space travel. He was part of the historic SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station and spent nearly six months aboard the orbiting laboratory. Glover has expressed excitement about the mission, stating that it marks a significant step towards sending humans to Mars.
Christina Koch, 44 years old, is a veteran astronaut with extensive experience in spacewalks and deep-space missions. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with a total of 328 days in space. Koch will join Glover, Wiseman, and Hansen on the Artemis II mission.
Jeremy Hansen, also 47 years old, is a Canadian astronaut who has been training to join NASA's crewed mission to the moon. He will be the first Canadian to travel to deep space, marking an exciting milestone for Canada's space program.
The Artemis II mission aims to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and launch atop a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket. The journey is expected to last around 10 days, with the crew traveling beyond the moon and potentially setting new records for human spaceflight.
While much of the technology required for the mission is still in development, including spacesuits for walking on the moon and a lunar lander, NASA's target date for the Artemis III mission remains 2025. However, experts predict that delays will likely push the mission to 2026 or later.
The selection process for the astronauts was shrouded in secrecy, but director of NASA's Johnson Space Center Vanessa Wyche confirmed that the crew includes men and women from diverse backgrounds. The four astronauts will be featured on CNN's "This Morning" show next Tuesday, providing a rare glimpse into their experiences and preparations for this historic mission.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, paving the way for sending humans to Mars in the long term. With this mission, NASA is taking a significant step towards re-establishing its presence on the moon, marking a new era in space exploration.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, was first selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009. He served as chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in 2022, making him eligible for a flight assignment. Wiseman will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission.
Glover, also 47 years old, is a seasoned naval aviator with extensive experience in space travel. He was part of the historic SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station and spent nearly six months aboard the orbiting laboratory. Glover has expressed excitement about the mission, stating that it marks a significant step towards sending humans to Mars.
Christina Koch, 44 years old, is a veteran astronaut with extensive experience in spacewalks and deep-space missions. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with a total of 328 days in space. Koch will join Glover, Wiseman, and Hansen on the Artemis II mission.
Jeremy Hansen, also 47 years old, is a Canadian astronaut who has been training to join NASA's crewed mission to the moon. He will be the first Canadian to travel to deep space, marking an exciting milestone for Canada's space program.
The Artemis II mission aims to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and launch atop a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket. The journey is expected to last around 10 days, with the crew traveling beyond the moon and potentially setting new records for human spaceflight.
While much of the technology required for the mission is still in development, including spacesuits for walking on the moon and a lunar lander, NASA's target date for the Artemis III mission remains 2025. However, experts predict that delays will likely push the mission to 2026 or later.
The selection process for the astronauts was shrouded in secrecy, but director of NASA's Johnson Space Center Vanessa Wyche confirmed that the crew includes men and women from diverse backgrounds. The four astronauts will be featured on CNN's "This Morning" show next Tuesday, providing a rare glimpse into their experiences and preparations for this historic mission.
The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, paving the way for sending humans to Mars in the long term. With this mission, NASA is taking a significant step towards re-establishing its presence on the moon, marking a new era in space exploration.
I'm so hyped for these astronauts!!! They're literally about to make history and it's amazing that there are women like Christina Koch involved too 
! Jeremy Hansen is going to be the first Canadian to go to deep space, can you even imagine how proud he'll be 
? It's crazy that NASA is working towards a permanent lunar outpost and sending humans to Mars... the future of space exploration is so bright 
. Can't wait for them to share their experiences on "This Morning" next Tuesday 
!
. I mean, think about it, we're talking about sending humans back to the moon after years of no activity 
. It's like they're trying to show us that they can't just abandon a space program 
. And now, with Jeremy Hansen being the first Canadian to travel to deep space, Canada is basically saying "we've got game" 
. But, seriously, this mission marks an exciting milestone for NASA and the US space program, but let's not forget that this is also about establishing a permanent lunar outpost, which raises questions about who will own and control this new territory on our moon 
. Will it be private companies like SpaceX or Blue Origin? Or will it be the US government all over again? The world is watching, and I'm excited to see how this plays out! 
! Reid Wiseman seems like such a cool dude as the commander of Artemis II, and Christina Koch is literally the longest single spaceflight record holder 
! Jeremy Hansen's gonna be the 1st Canadian in deep space tho 
& Victor Glover is hyped about Mars, omg let's go! 
. I'm also loving how diverse the crew is - it's going to be awesome to see what they bring to the table 
. And can you believe Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian in deep space? That's like, total Canada pride 
. like, what's the point of this whole thing really? just so we can say we've been back on the moon in 2025 and get a bunch of useless data out of it? and don't even get me started on the delays... already expecting them to push it off to 2026 or later because, of course they are 
.
Jeremy Hansen's going to be the first Canadian in deep space, that's a major milestone for Canada 
the diversity of the crew is also giving me LIFE 
can't wait for them to share their experiences on CNN next week
. And can we talk about Koch's spaceflight record? 328 days in space is no joke! 
Anyway, I guess this is a big step for NASA and all that...
, we gotta get back to the moon ASAP, been hearing about it for decades now and to finally have a crewed mission lined up is insane. gotta give props to these four astronauts too, Wiseman's experience as a test pilot is gonna be super valuable on this mission, and Koch's spacewalk record is crazy 
, let's get this done already!
, he's been training for this moment for years. And can we talk about Christina Koch's spacewalk record? Girl, that's some serious space cred 
Glover's enthusiasm about sending humans to Mars is infectious, let's make it happen! 
gotta love that NASA's making sure there are men and women from different cultures on board.