NASA has selected a diverse group of four astronauts, including two Americans and a Canadian, to embark on the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years. The Artemis II lunar flyby is set to launch in November 2024, marking a significant milestone in the US space agency's plans to return humans to the lunar surface.
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will form the crew of this historic mission. Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot from Baltimore, Maryland, was first selected as an astronaut in 2009. He served as chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator from California, has previously flown on the International Space Station and piloted SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. Koch, a 44-year-old veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
Hansen, a 47-year-old fighter pilot from Canada, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. The crew's diverse backgrounds reflect NASA's efforts to assemble a team that can work together effectively in the challenging environment of space.
The Artemis II mission will launch on top of a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is expected to take about 10 days to complete. During this time, the crew will travel beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before, although the exact distance remains uncertain.
The success of Artemis II will 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. The team is currently in training, with astronauts set to participate in an interview on CNN's "This Morning" next week.
Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, stating that they still possess the "right stuff." Koch described her reaction to receiving the news as being "speechless," adding that it's an honor to be part of a team returning to the moon and heading towards Mars.
The mission represents a significant step forward for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost. The crew will embark on a historic journey, marking a major milestone in human space exploration.
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will form the crew of this historic mission. Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot from Baltimore, Maryland, was first selected as an astronaut in 2009. He served as chief of the astronaut office before stepping down in November 2022.
Glover, a 46-year-old naval aviator from California, has previously flown on the International Space Station and piloted SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. Koch, a 44-year-old veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
Hansen, a 47-year-old fighter pilot from Canada, is one of only four active Canadian astronauts and will become the first Canadian to travel to deep space. The crew's diverse backgrounds reflect NASA's efforts to assemble a team that can work together effectively in the challenging environment of space.
The Artemis II mission will launch on top of a NASA-developed Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is expected to take about 10 days to complete. During this time, the crew will travel beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled before, although the exact distance remains uncertain.
The success of Artemis II will 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. The team is currently in training, with astronauts set to participate in an interview on CNN's "This Morning" next week.
Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, emphasized the diversity of the Artemis II crew, stating that they still possess the "right stuff." Koch described her reaction to receiving the news as being "speechless," adding that it's an honor to be part of a team returning to the moon and heading towards Mars.
The mission represents a significant step forward for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost. The crew will embark on a historic journey, marking a major milestone in human space exploration.
i'm so hyped about the new crew selected for artemis ii! reid wiseman, victor glover, christina koch, and jeremy hansen are literally the coolest astronauts ever and i love that nasa is trying to bring in more diversity to their team 
it's so inspiring to see people from different backgrounds working together to achieve this historic mission 
can't wait to see them on cnn's "this morning" next week! 
Four awesome astronauts from different backgrounds are about to make history - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. I'm low-key jealous, tbh. They've got some serious skills under their belts, from spacewalks to test pilot gigs. This diverse crew is exactly what NASA needs for a successful mission 
. And the best part? We might just see humans travel farther than anyone has before 
. Mars, here we come? 
. NASA's got this! 
this is so cool! I mean two Americans and one Canadian are gonna go all the way to the moon? And they're diverse too, like super awesome. Christina Koch's record for longest single spaceflight by a woman is insane 
. The fact that they're training now and it's all set for November 2024 makes me really hyped 
... but seriously, can you imagine being part of a crew that's literally pushing the boundaries of human space travel? 
I'm so hyped about this news!!! It's amazing to see the diversity of the astronauts selected for the Artemis II mission - they're all from different backgrounds and have experienced so much already! 
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are going to make an incredible team and pave the way for future missions. The fact that we're getting closer to establishing a permanent lunar outpost is just mind-blowing! 
. And can you believe Christina Koch is part of this crew? She's an absolute legend with her six spacewalks under her belt 
. Let's get ready for some epic space travel and maybe even a historic first woman and person of color on the lunar surface 
that nasa is going back to the moon with such an awesome crew 
! they've got ppl from all walks of life, including two americans and a canadian, which is super cool 
) and showing the world what's possible when we work together 
can't wait to see them smash it at the Artemis II mission in Nov 2024! 
. Koch being part of this crew is amazing considering she broke records for longest single spaceflight by a woman 
. I mean, it's awesome that NASA's finally getting some diverse astronauts on board - it's about time we saw more faces from around the world up there 
. And what's with all these interviews on CNN? Can't we just have some actual discussion threads for once? 