NASA announces astronauts to lead historic mission back to the Moon after 50 years. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have been selected to fly a capsule around the lunar body in late 2024 or early 2025.
Although they will not land on the Moon, their mission will pave the way for subsequent crews to achieve this milestone.
The selection of Christina Koch, an electrical engineer, and Victor Glover, the first African American to stay on the space station for an extended period of six months, showcases NASA’s commitment to greater diversity in its exploration efforts.
The crew was presented to the public at a ceremony in Houston, Texas, and will now begin an intense training period to prepare for the mission.
The Artemis-2 mission is a part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to bring the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface by 2024.
The use of the 21st Century technology under the Artemis program, including the next-generation Moon rocket called Space Launch System and the Orion crew capsule, is set to make this historic event different from previous lunar missions.
