NASA has chosen four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, for the historic Artemis II lunar flyby mission. This marks the first crewed moon mission in over five decades and will pave the way for future human missions to Mars.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the mission. He has previously completed one spaceflight on a Russian Soyuz rocket and was chief of the astronaut office before stepping down last year. Hansen, also 47, is a fighter pilot from Canada who became the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator, piloted the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spent nearly six months on the International Space Station. Koch, 44, is a veteran of six spacewalks and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space.
The four astronauts will launch atop a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida around November 2024. The journey is expected to last about 10 days, during which they will send the crew out beyond the moon and potentially further than any human has traveled in history.
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. However, much of the technology required for the mission, including spacesuits and a lunar lander, is still under development.
The selection process for the astronauts was kept secret, but the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center said that the diversity of the crew was one of the key considerations. An interview with the four astronauts will air on "CNN This Morning" next Tuesday.
The Artemis II mission marks a significant step forward in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon and eventually send them to Mars. With this mission, NASA is aiming to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term.
Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will serve as commander of the mission. He has previously completed one spaceflight on a Russian Soyuz rocket and was chief of the astronaut office before stepping down last year. Hansen, also 47, is a fighter pilot from Canada who became the first Canadian to be put in charge of training for a new class of NASA astronauts.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator, piloted the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spent nearly six months on the International Space Station. Koch, 44, is a veteran of six spacewalks and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space.
The four astronauts will launch atop a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida around November 2024. The journey is expected to last about 10 days, during which they will send the crew out beyond the moon and potentially further than any human has traveled in history.
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. However, much of the technology required for the mission, including spacesuits and a lunar lander, is still under development.
The selection process for the astronauts was kept secret, but the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center said that the diversity of the crew was one of the key considerations. An interview with the four astronauts will air on "CNN This Morning" next Tuesday.
The Artemis II mission marks a significant step forward in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon and eventually send them to Mars. With this mission, NASA is aiming to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term.
The whole thing about selecting these four astronauts seems like quite an accomplishment. I mean, with Wiseman as commander, it's all about stability & leadership, right? 
And Hansen being the first Canadian at training for new NASA astronauts is definitely a nod to diversity, which is super important for the future of space exploration. But, honestly, I'm still getting my head around the whole Artemis II mission - 10 days in space, beyond the moon... that's some serious prep work if you ask me! 
I'm loving how NASA is taking it slow and steady with these new missions 
. Like, yeah let's get this crew ready for Mars first! 
But seriously, having a diverse crew like this is awesome - we need more representation up there 
. And Reid Wiseman as the commander? Total boss move 
. I'm hyped to see what they'll achieve with Artemis II 
These new astronauts are so talented, I mean who wouldn't want to be part of a crew that's about to make human history again? The fact that they're keeping the selection process secret was a bit mysterious, but I guess NASA wanted to keep the excitement building 
. I love how diverse this crew is, it's like we're finally getting some representation from around the world 
. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go dig out my old Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon DVDs and imagine what it'd be like to live on a space station... those were the days! 
Can't believe it's been 5 decades since we've seen a crewed moon mission. I mean, who needs personal growth or exploring new hobbies when you can just go back to the moon? 
Anyway, Congrats to Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy on making history (again). It's cool that they're diverse and stuff 
but also about laying down the foundation for something bigger. It's like building a house on solid ground before you start adding all those fancy rooms and floors, right? You gotta have a strong base first, or everything else will come crashing down 
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️ Well, I'd say it's like trying to solve a puzzle – you gotta start with the basics, in this case, understanding how to work together as a team and overcoming obstacles 
. Reid Wiseman leadin' the charge, that's cool. I mean, he's got some serious experience under his belt already. Hansen's story too, bein' a fighter pilot and all. It's awesome they're representin' different countries too. Christina Koch holdin' down spacewalk records is no joke either 