The world watched with bated breath as NASA announced the four astronauts who will be making history as part of Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon in over half a century. Get to know the intrepid quartet.
Leading the expedition is Reid Wiseman, a former Chief of NASA's astronaut office — a seasoned aviator who previously spent 165 days on the International Space Station. His co-pilot? Victor Glover, another accomplished aviator who also logged six months on ISS, culminating in a successful mission as part of SpaceX's Crew-1. Joining them is Christina Koch, a trailblazer with a legacy of six spacewalks, holding the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. The team is rounded out by Jeremy Hansen, a fighter pilot for the Canadian Space Agency, marking Canada's first step into deep space.
The mission is scheduled for November 2024, launching aboard a Space Launch System rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Artemis II signifies a bold step towards Artemis III, humanity's maiden voyage back onto the moon's surface under the Artemis program. It's a historic mission for the world, one that speaks to our shared ambition as a species to explore what lies beyond. This space opera is just beginning, and it's exciting to see where we'll land.