NASA’s Artemis II Rocket Launch: Meet The Four Astronauts Heading To Moon On A Historic Journey Marking Humanity’s Return To Deep Space

The four Artemis II astronauts who launched on a trip around the moon this week stand out even in a NASA astronaut corps full of super achievers. 

They include three space station veterans and a Canadian rookie- a commander who is a single parent to two children; a veteran spacewalker who will become the first woman to fly to the moon; an experienced Navy pilot; and the first Canadian who will fly beyond low-Earth orbit. 

Reid Wiseman, Artemis II Commandar

Mission commander Reid Wiseman, 50, became a naval aviator in 1999, completed multiple aircraft carrier deployments, put in a stint at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School flying F-35 and F-18 fighter jets before another carrier deployment. He was at sea when he was selected to join NASA’s astronaut corps in 2009.

Wiseman first flew in space in 2014, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, logging 165 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station and completing two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 47 minutes.

Christina Koch, mission specialist

Christina Koch (pronounced “Cook”), 47, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A surfer and rock climber who enjoys backpacking, photography and travel, Koch holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from North Carolina State University and studied abroad in Ghana.

She worked as an electrical engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center before working as a research associate in Antarctica and wintering over at the Admunsen-Scott South Pole Station. She then worked at Johns Hopkins University, helping develop science instruments for NASA’s June probe, now orbiting Jupiter, and two spacecraft designed to study the Van Allen radiation belts.

U.S. Navy Captain Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot

Born in Pomona, California, Glover, 49, is married and the father of four children. He earned an engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University and three master’s degrees in military aviation, systems engineering and management.

A father of four, Glover has logged more than 3,500 hours flying time in more than 40 aircraft, completing more than 400 carrier flights and 24 combat missions. He served as pilot of the first operational SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station in 2020-21, logging 168 days in orbit and completing four spacewalks.

Jeremy Hansen, Canadian mission specialist

Born in London, Ontario, Hansen, 50, grew up on a farm until his high school years in Ingersoll, Ontario. A rock climber and mountain biker who enjoys sailing, he is married and the father of three children.

The Artemis II mission will be the first piloted flight of NASA’s giant Space Launch System rocket and the first flight of an Orion crew capsule with astronauts on board.

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