The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is about to write a new chapter in the history of space exploration. The agency is preparing for the launch of Artemis II, a mission that will mark the return of crewed flights around the moon after more than half a century.
In addition to its technical relevance, the project stands out for integrating a crew that symbolizes a new stage in terms of representation: It will include the first woman, the first Black person, and the first non-US astronaut to travel to the lunar environment.
The names of the members were announced a little more than three years ago. At that time, then-NASA administrator Bill Nelson said, “The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to take us to the stars. This is the crew of humanity. Each has his or her own story, but together they embody our credo: E pluribus unum, or ‘Out of many, one.’”
After several postponements, the launch is scheduled for April 1. According to NASA, approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the Orion spacecraft and its occupants will have reached space. Subsequently, the mission will execute an orbit around Earth before starting its trajectory to the moon. It is estimated that the spacecraft will come within 6,450 to 9,650 kilometers of the lunar surface before returning and splashing down in the ocean.
The mission will last about 10 days. During this period, the team will evaluate the performance of Orion’s operational and life support systems, which are critical for future missions. These checks are essential to NASA’s schedule, which calls for astronauts to return to the lunar surface by 2028.
The Historic Crew of the Artemis II Mission
The mission will be commanded by US astronaut Reid Wiseman. The crew is completed by his compatriots Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen. The agency is confident that the accumulated experience, technical skills, and professional background of the four specialists will be decisive for the success of the flight, considered a key step toward the goal of sending humans to Mars.
Reid Wiseman
Courtesy of NASA
Born in Baltimore, Wiseman is a 27-year veteran of the US Navy. A naval aviator and decorated test pilot, he will assume command of Artemis II. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a master’s degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a certificate in space systems from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Selected as an astronaut in 2009, he made his first space flight in 2014 aboard the Russian Soyuz capsule bound for the International Space Station. During that 165-day mission he served as a flight engineer and accumulated 13 hours of space walks in two extravehicular sorties. Together with his team, he participated in more than 200 experiments related to human physiology, medicine, physical sciences, earth sciences, and astrophysics.
Despite his extensive professional career, Wiseman considers his greatest challenge to have been becoming a single father of two children, an experience he also describes as the most rewarding of his life.
Victor J. Glover
Courtesy of NASA
A native of Pomona, California, Glover has a long career as a naval aviator, with both combat and flight test experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in general engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and completed his naval aviator training in 2001. Since then he has accumulated more than 3,500 flight hours in 40 aircraft types, including 24 combat missions and more than 400 carrier landings.
He joined NASA in 2013 and, after completing his training, served in key ground roles as a capsule communicator and operations officer for Soyuz and Crew Dragon missions. His first trip to space was in 2020 as pilot of the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, the first long-duration operational mission to the International Space Station aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft. On that occasion he spent 168 days in orbit, performed four spacewalks, and participated in a variety of science and maintenance activities.
