NASA has selected four astronauts, including two Canadians and a US naval aviator, to helm the first crewed moon mission in nearly five decades. The team, set to embark on the historic Artemis II lunar flyby in November 2024, consists of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
Wiseman, 47, is a decorated naval aviator and test pilot who has previously flown on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. He will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Hansen, also 47, is a fighter pilot from Canada who became the first Canadian astronaut to lead training for NASA astronauts. As part of this mission, he will make history by becoming the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
Glover, 46, is a naval aviator who returned to Earth in 2021 after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station. Koch, 44, is a veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
The Artemis II mission will build on an uncrewed test mission that sent NASA's Orion capsule on a 1.4 million-mile voyage around the moon last year. The crew will embark on a 10-day journey to send them out beyond the moon, with the exact distance depending on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from Earth at the time.
The mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission later this decade, which NASA vows will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term as NASA maps a path to sending humans to Mars.
The selection process for the crew was described by Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, as having diverse requirements, including not only test pilots but also individuals from various backgrounds. Koch revealed in an interview that she and her colleagues found out they were selected just weeks before the announcement, adding a layer of surprise to their historic honor.
The crew will be featured in an upcoming episode of CNN's "CNN This Morning," starting at 6 am ET on Tuesday.
Wiseman, 47, is a decorated naval aviator and test pilot who has previously flown on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. He will serve as commander of the Artemis II mission. Hansen, also 47, is a fighter pilot from Canada who became the first Canadian astronaut to lead training for NASA astronauts. As part of this mission, he will make history by becoming the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
Glover, 46, is a naval aviator who returned to Earth in 2021 after piloting SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station. Koch, 44, is a veteran of six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
The Artemis II mission will build on an uncrewed test mission that sent NASA's Orion capsule on a 1.4 million-mile voyage around the moon last year. The crew will embark on a 10-day journey to send them out beyond the moon, with the exact distance depending on the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the Moon from Earth at the time.
The mission is expected to pave the way for the Artemis III mission later this decade, which NASA vows will put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long-term as NASA maps a path to sending humans to Mars.
The selection process for the crew was described by Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, as having diverse requirements, including not only test pilots but also individuals from various backgrounds. Koch revealed in an interview that she and her colleagues found out they were selected just weeks before the announcement, adding a layer of surprise to their historic honor.
The crew will be featured in an upcoming episode of CNN's "CNN This Morning," starting at 6 am ET on Tuesday.
NASA's gonna get some real space travel going on soon... it's crazy they're sending a whole crew to the moon now 
those canadian dudes are gonna make history lol jk but seriously, christina koch is like a total boss with all that experience under her belt 
and the fact that they're paving way for people of color to go to space is totally on point 
i just wish we could see some actual pics from these missions tho 
like two Canadians making it to deep space is a HUGE deal and i love how diverse the team is - test pilots, spacewalk experts, and naval aviators all coming together! 
personally i've always been fascinated by space travel and the thought of seeing humans on Mars one day is just mind-blowing 
can't wait for the Artemis III mission and the possibility of a permanent lunar outpost 
. and let's not forget Christina Koch holding that record for longest single spaceflight by a woman - what an inspiration to so many young women out there! 
. Having Canadians like Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover on board is awesome, it's great to see representation from different countries and backgrounds. Can you imagine being part of a team that's breaking barriers and pushing the boundaries of human space travel? 
I'm also excited to hear more about Christina Koch's story, she seems like an incredible astronaut who's already accomplished so much. This is just the beginning of something epic! 
Canada is like, totally representing! 
And this mission is just the start - it's going to pave the way for some amazing stuff in space exploration, like a permanent lunar outpost and humans on Mars 
A Canadian and a US naval aviator making history together is giving me LIFE! 
Jeremy Hansen becoming the first Canuck to travel to deep space? That's like, out of this world (pun intended)! 
And let's not forget about Christina Koch, a total boss who's been on six spacewalks already - I mean, who needs a spa day when you can just float around in zero gravity?! 
Reid Wiseman is looking sharp too, being a decorated naval aviator and all. Can't wait to see these four rockstars on CNN this morning 
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. And oh yeah, it's all going to pave the way for Artemis III which is supposed to be " historic" - because you know what they say: more astronauts = more history 
. Can't wait to see this mission unfold and hopefully we'll get some amazing footage 
. Bring it on! 
. The Artemis program has such big plans to establish a permanent lunar outpost, I'm excited to see how that unfolds! November 2024 can't come soon enough for this crew's epic journey – they're going to make us all proud 
. Koch is a total rockstar in spacewalks - 6 walkies? That's insane! 
But what's really got me hyped is the fact that they're setting the stage for Artemis III... women and POC on the moon? That's a huge deal 
. i'm loving that they've got some fresh faces like jeremy hansen from canada too, representing his country is a big deal