NASA Announces the names of Four New Artemis 2 Crew headed for the moon orbit

NASA has unveiled the four astronauts who will make up the crew of Artemis II, the first crewed flight aboard the agency’s human deep space capabilities, paving the way for future lunar surface missions. The crew, consisting of Christina, Jeremy, Victor Glover, and Reid, will lift off on an approximately 10-day mission from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

• Reid Wiseman lived & worked aboard the Space Station as a flight engineer in 2014. He also commanded the undersea research mission NEEMO21, and most recently served as Chief of the NASA Astronauts.
• Victor Glover is part of our 2013 class of NASA Astronauts and was the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. He’s logged 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft, and will pilot Orion around the Moon.
• Christina Koch visited the Space Station in 2019, where she took part in the first all-woman spacewalk. She began her career as an electrical engineer at Goddard.
• Jeremy Hansen was a fighter pilot before joining CSA, and currently works with NASA on astronaut training and mission operations. This will be Hansen’s first mission in space.

During the mission, the crew will be propelled beyond Earth’s grasp atop NASA’s mega Moon rocket. After about two days, they will perform system checks on Orion, the spacecraft that will carry them, and conduct a targeting demonstration test relatively close to Earth. Following this, they will begin their trek toward the Moon, marking a significant milestone in NASA’s Artemis program.

Artemis II will be the first flight with crew aboard NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

Artemis II is a crucial step in NASA’s efforts to return humans to the Moon and establish sustainable exploration in the lunar region. The crew’s journey around the Moon will not only test the capabilities of Orion and its systems but also pave the way for future crewed missions to the lunar surface.

The selected crew members, Christina, Jeremy, Victor Glover, and Reid, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the mission. They have undergone rigorous training and preparation to ensure they are ready for the challenges of deep space exploration. As NASA continues to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, Artemis II marks another significant milestone in humanity’s quest to explore beyond Earth’s orbit and unlock the mysteries of the Moon. Stay tuned for more updates as the Artemis II mission draws closer to launch!