Apr 03, 2023
By Amy Stamm
Today NASA announced the four astronauts that will fly on board Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis Moon landing program. Artemis II is the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The astronauts will launch on the SLS rocket, fly aboard Orion to test out its systems, travel around the Moon and back, and splash back down in the Pacific Ocean.
This mission will return humans to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. And those Moon-faring humans are commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
This crew will make history in many ways, not least by paving the way to return humans to the Moon to walk on the lunar surface. Victor Glover will be the first person of color to go to the Moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman to go to the Moon, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian to go to the Moon.
In the Artemis II crew announcement event, Victor Glover underscored the importance of teamwork and collaboration in taking small steps and giant leaps:
“You may often hear people say human spaceflight is a marathon not a sprint. But we have watched the people who work so hard to make our mission possible, and I can tell you, it is a series of sprints. That’s called a relay race. Human spaceflight is a relay race. And that baton has been passed, generation to generation. And from crew member to crew member. From Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, Mir, the Shuttle, International Space Station, Commercial Crew, and now the Artemis missions. And we understand our role in that. And when we have the privilege of having that baton, we’re going to do our best to run a good race, to make you proud.”
Let’s learn more about this history-making crew.
Reid Wiseman
NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman will serve as the Commander for the Artemis II mission. Wiseman flew previously as a flight engineer aboard the International Station for Expedition 41 from May through November 2014, logging more than 165 days in space. Prior to his assignment, Wiseman served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022.
G. Reid Wiseman will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Wiseman’s first trip to space was on Expedition 40/41 to the International Space Station in 2014. While living on the station, Wiseman took two trips outside the spacecraft for almost 13 hours of spacewalking and he and his fellow astronauts conducted over 300 scientific experiments. Wiseman also gained national attention by sharing snapshots of life on board the ISS and photos of Earth from his unique vantage point with all of us through social media. He most recently served as Chief of the Astronaut Office.
Before joining NASA, Wiseman was designated a Naval Aviator in 1999. He was assigned to Fighter Squadron 31 and was deployed twice to the Middle East, supporting Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 2004 and served as a test pilot and project officer at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009.
Wiseman has a bachelor of science in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a master of science in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a certificate of space systems from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Victor Glover
NASA Astronaut Victor Glover will be making his second flight to space as the pilot of the Artemis II mission. Glover previously served as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, which landed May 2, 2021, after 168 days in space. As a flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 64, he contributed to scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and participated in four spacewalks.
Victor Glover will serve as pilot of the Artemis II mission. Glover first went to space in 2020 on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission and Expedition 64/65 to the International Space Station. Crew-1 was the first post-certification mission of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Glover participated in four spacewalks during his time on the ISS.
Before joining NASA, Glover served in the U.S. Navy, completing his advanced flight training in 2001. While assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA‐34, Glover deployed on the USS John F. Kennedy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He then attended the Air Force Test Pilot School as a U.S. Navy exchange pilot. As a test pilot, Glover flew the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA‐18G Growler. In 2012, Glover served as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate, supporting defense and foreign relations policy and oversight. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013.
Glover has a bachelor of science in general engineering from California Polytechnic State University, a master of science in flight test engineering from Air University, a master of science in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, a master of military operational art and science from Air University, a certificate in space systems from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a certificate in legislative studies from Georgetown University.
Christina Koch
NASA Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch will be making her second flight to space on the Artemis II mission, serving as a mission specialist. Koch served as flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 59, 60, and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
Christina Koch will serve as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission. Koch first went to space in 2019 on Expedition 59/60/61 to the International Space Station, remaining in space for nearly 11 months. During her time on the station, Koch conducted six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.
Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Koch worked on space science instrument development and remote scientific field engineering. She worked as an electrical engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She also was a research associate in the United States Antarctic Program, serving as a member of the Firefighting and Search and Rescue Teams during a yearlong stay in Antarctica. Koch also worked at remote scientific bases for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Alaska and American Samoa.
Koch has bachelors of science in both electrical engineering and physics from North Carolina State University. She also has master of science in electrical engineering from the same school.
Jeremy Hansen
Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is making his first flight to space as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission. He was one of two recruits selected by CSA in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and has served in many roles supporting human spaceflight. Hansen has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center and in 2017, became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class, leading the training of astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada.
Jeremy Hansen will serve as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission. Hansen was selected as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut in 2009. Since graduating from astronaut candidate training, Hansen has worked as CapCom at the Mission Control Center, participated in the European Space Agency’s CAVES program, and served as a crewmember of NEEMO 19, living and working on the ocean floor for seven days to simulate deep-space exploration.
Before joining the Canadian Space Agency, Hansen was a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, flying CF-18 fighter jets. As a combat operations officer at 4 Wing Operations, his responsibilities included effectiveness of NORAD operations, deployed exercises and Arctic flying operations.
Hansen has a bachelor of science in honors space science from the Royal Military College of Canada. He has a master of science in physics from the same school.
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