NASA announced the crew for the Artemis II mission, which will be the first manned mission around the moon in more than 50 years.
NASA, along with the Canadian Space Agency, announced on Monday that NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen are the four people selected for the mission.
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“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum — out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers — the Artemis Generation.”
Wiseman will serve as the commander for the mission after previously serving as the flight engineer for Expedition 41 to the International Space Station. He has 165 days in space logged and most recently served as chief of the Astronaut Office.
Glover will be the pilot for the mission, having previously served as the pilot on the SpaceX Crew-1. Artemis II will be his second spaceflight, and he will also be the first person of color on a lunar mission.
Koch will be mission specialist 1, previously serving as the flight engineer for Expedition 59, 60, and 61 to the International Space Station. She will be taking part in her second spaceflight and will be the first woman on a lunar mission.
Hansen will serve as mission specialist 2, with the mission set to be his first spaceflight. He will be the first Canadian on a lunar mission. His previous experience includes his time as a fighter pilot, and he was the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class.
The Artemis II mission will be a 10-day mission, which will see astronauts testing the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft as they orbit the moon. The mission will also work to "validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space."
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Artemis I was the first mission in the program and saw the Orion spacecraft successfully orbit the moon and conduct tests. The unmanned mission launched on Nov. 16, 2022, after several months of delays and successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, 2022.
The Artemis II mission is scheduled for 2024, with the Artemis III mission featuring a moon landing set for 2025.