The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the four astronauts who will participate in the Artemis II lunar mission next year on Monday.
The four astronauts will now begin preparations for the historic Artemis II lunar flyby, which is set to take place in November 2024. This will be the first crewed mission to the moon in fifty years. The astronauts are Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, NASA’s Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman. According to CNN, NASA has named the first woman astronaut, who is also one of the world’s most experienced spacewalkers and the first African American ever assigned as an astronaut, making the lunar mission quite special.
Reid Wiseman, a 47-year-old decorated naval aviator and test pilot, was chosen as a NASA astronaut for the first time in 2009. He will lead the Artemis II mission as commander.
In 2009, the Canadian Space Agency chose Hansen, a fighter pilot, for astronaut training. He will also be the first Canadian to travel to deep space.
Glover, a 46-year-old navy aviator, flew SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on its second crewed mission and spent nearly six months at the International Space Station in 2021, according to CNN.
Koch is the crew’s fourth member. Koch, 44, has completed six spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.
