Artemis I mission ‘successful beyond NASA’s dreams’: Tom Jones
Veteran NASA astronaut Tom Jones recaps the historic Artemis I mission after the Orion capsule made a successful return to earth and outlines what this means for the lunar return program.
The Artemis II astronauts were named in a historic announcement on Monday.
The astronauts include NASA's Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen.
All four will venture around the moon no sooner than late 2024. They'll be the first to fly NASA's Orion space capsule and will lift off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on a Space Launch System rocket.
NASA NAMES CREW OF FIRST MANNED MISSION TO MOON IN OVER 50 YEARS
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission (left to right): NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (NASA)
The approximately 10-day trip takes them around the moon and back to Earth.
"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 at a ceremony in Texas. "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."
The team, all in their 40s, is the first moon crew in 50 years and includes the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission. NASA picked from 41 active astronauts and Canada had four candidates.
NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by around 2025.
Who are the astronauts?
Commander Reid Wiseman
This will be the second trip into space for Reid Wiseman, who previously served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station in 2014.
He has logged more than 165 days in space and served as the chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022.
Pilot Victor Glover
This is the second spaceflight for Glover, who previously served as the pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, which landed after 168 days in space in May 2021.
A southern California native, Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate.
(L-R) Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch stand onstage after being selected for the Artemis II mission who will venture around the moon during a news conference held by NASA and CSA at Ellington airport in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2023. ((Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images))
"This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and it’s so much more than the four names that have been announced," the naval aviator said.
Glover was also a test pilot in the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA‐18G Growler.
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Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch
This will also be the second flight into space for Koch, who holds the world record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
The Michigan native served as flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 59, 60 and 61.
"Am I excited? Absolutely," Koch said. "But my real question is: ‘Are you excited?’"
Her career began as an Electrical Engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where she contributed to scientific instruments on several NASA space science missions.
Astronauts Christina Hammock Koch (R), Victor Glover (L) and Jeremy Hansen (C) react after being selected for the Artemis II mission who will venture around the Moon during a news conference held by NASA and CSA at Ellington airport in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2023. ((Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images))
Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen
Hansen is making his first flight to space.
A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and former fighter pilot, Hansen was one of two recruits selected by CSA in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center and, in 2017, became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class.
"We are going to the moon together. Let’s go!" he said.
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This is the first moon crew to include someone from outside the U.S. The Canadian Space Agency got a seat due to its contributions of big robotic arms on NASA’s space shuttles and the space station. One is also planned for the moon project.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.