NASA has selected four astronauts for its first crewed mission to the moon in nearly five decades, Artemis II. Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, will lead the team as commander.
Wiseman, 47, was first selected by NASA in 2009 and holds a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent 328 days in space. He is joined on the mission by Victor Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator who has flown on two previous crewed missions to space.
Glover completed six months aboard the International Space Station after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and piloted the second crewed flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Christina Koch, another veteran astronaut, will also join Wiseman on the mission. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent 328 days in space.
The Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen will be part of the Artemis II crew as well. He is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
The Artemis II mission is set to launch around November 2024, with the spacecraft expected to spend about 10 days in orbit around the moon before returning to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. The crew will conduct a lunar flyby and pave the way for future missions, including the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.
The selection process was described as diverse, with men and women selected to form the team. NASA's director of Johnson Space Center, Vanessa Wyche, said that the new astronauts "still have the right stuff" but come from different backgrounds than previous space missions.
In an interview, Christina Koch revealed that she found out about her selection a few weeks ago after receiving an unexpected meeting invitation under a different pretext. Koch expressed her gratitude and honor at being part of this historic team, adding that it's "amazing to be a part of this team that's going back to the moon and on to Mars."
An interview with the four astronauts will air on CNN This Morning on Tuesday, starting at 6 am ET.
Wiseman, 47, was first selected by NASA in 2009 and holds a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent 328 days in space. He is joined on the mission by Victor Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator who has flown on two previous crewed missions to space.
Glover completed six months aboard the International Space Station after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and piloted the second crewed flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Christina Koch, another veteran astronaut, will also join Wiseman on the mission. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent 328 days in space.
The Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen will be part of the Artemis II crew as well. He is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
The Artemis II mission is set to launch around November 2024, with the spacecraft expected to spend about 10 days in orbit around the moon before returning to Earth for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. The crew will conduct a lunar flyby and pave the way for future missions, including the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.
The selection process was described as diverse, with men and women selected to form the team. NASA's director of Johnson Space Center, Vanessa Wyche, said that the new astronauts "still have the right stuff" but come from different backgrounds than previous space missions.
In an interview, Christina Koch revealed that she found out about her selection a few weeks ago after receiving an unexpected meeting invitation under a different pretext. Koch expressed her gratitude and honor at being part of this historic team, adding that it's "amazing to be a part of this team that's going back to the moon and on to Mars."
An interview with the four astronauts will air on CNN This Morning on Tuesday, starting at 6 am ET.
and I gotta say, it's so cool to see such a diverse group of people coming together for this mission! Reid Wiseman as commander is awesome, but what really gets me is Christina Koch being part of this team - she holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman 
. And Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency joining the crew is like, super exciting for our neighbors up north 
! It's amazing to see NASA moving forward with plans for future missions, especially with the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface 
...can't wait to see what the future holds for space travel!
. And Christina Koch is like, a total rockstar for holding the record herself too 
.
, with men and women from different backgrounds selected 
. I love that Jeremy Hansen will be part of it as a Canadian astronaut - we're gonna make space exploration awesome again in Canada 
, with the average mission duration being around 8 days 
. And did you know that the International Space Station orbits Earth at an altitude of around 250 miles 
?
This mission is not just about exploring space, it's about pushing boundaries and inspiring a new generation of explorers. Bring on Artemis II and get ready for some out-of-this-world adventures! 
being the longest spaceflight record holder by a woman, and Christina Koch is like wow what an amazing achievement spending 328 days in space 
, hoping they share more about the mission prep & all the cool tech that's gonna make it happen 
And Reid Wiseman as the commander? Impressive! The selection process must have been tough, but NASA got it right this time 
. And I have to say, I'm impressed by Christie Koch's story - being part of this historic team must be a dream come true for her 
So I'm thinking, NASA is trying to relive its glory days and it's gonna be awesome! 
. And can you believe Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to go deep space? 
Here are some stats for u: 
.
.
.
and Christina Koch too, she's a total legend for that 328-day record 
.
. And Victor Glover's SpaceX background is dope, he's got those skills down pat 
- Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are all super qualified 
, especially with their backgrounds in naval aviators and test pilots 
! And let's be real, having a Canadian on board is a bonus 
. And Jeremy Hansen becoming Canada's first deep space traveler 
, is super exciting. I just hope NASA can make good use of this momentum to address some of the systemic issues in STEM education 
.
, it's going to be lit!
. Anyway, can't wait to watch the interview on CNN This Morning, gonna be interesting! 
! And can we talk about Christina Koch holding a record that was already held by a man? Like, what even is that? 
What I'm excited about most though is that this mission paves the way for future missions, including the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface