Meet History’s Next Lunar Astronauts
Written by Scarlet Dominik & Beverly Casillas
During the Apollo Program, 24 American astronauts flew to the Moon. At time of publishing, that number represents every human being who has ever traveled to another world. Now, more than five decades later, that total is set to increase. NASA’s Artemis II mission is ready to launch, and, if all goes to plan, will carry four people farther from Earth than ever before.
The crew of Artemis II represent more than just America’s return to the Moon—they are humanity’s return to the Moon. Among them will be the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Canadian ever to fly to cislunar space. Artemis II will open the door to the next generation of lunar explorers, who come from a much wider range of backgrounds, cultures, and professions than the test pilots of the Apollo era.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are the prime crew of Artemis II. They are supported by a backup crew of NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons.
Reid Wiseman – Artemis II Commander
Wiseman spent 27 years serving in the U.S. Navy, during which he was presented with numerous awards for his service as a fighter pilot. Following this, he was selected in 2009 to join the 20th NASA astronaut class, and he completed training in 2011. Wiseman’s first and so far only flight to space was in 2014, launching to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft. As a part of the Expedition 40/41 segment, Wiseman supported two spacewalks. From 2020 to 2022, he served as the Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, the senior leadership position regarding operational activities and assignments for active NASA astronauts. Reid Wiseman is a single father to two children.
Image credit: Josh Valcarcel for NASA
Victor Glover – Artemis II Pilot
Glover served as a Naval Aviator and test pilot from 2001 to 2012, where he accumulated over 3,500 flight hours across 40 different aircraft. Glover was selected in 2013 for the 21st NASA astronaut class, and completed training in 2015. Glover is also a second-time flier, whose first flight was aboard Crew Dragon Resilience during the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, Dragon’s first operational flight to the International Space Station. During this mission, Glover served as Dragon Pilot and Expedition 64/65 Flight Engineer, and became the first African American astronaut to stay on the ISS for a full duration mission. During his time aboard the ISS, Glover completed four spacewalks. On the ground, Glover has conducted numerous supporting roles for ISS launches, and served as a crew representative for the HLS program. Victor Glover is a father to four children.
Image credit: Josh Valcarcel for NASA
Christina Koch – Artemis II Mission Specialist
Koch has worked as an electrical engineer in space applications at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. She is a researcher with extensive experience in remote environments, including a winter-over stay at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, as well as locations such as Greenland, Alaska, and American Samoa. Koch was selected for NASA’s 21st astronaut class in 2013, graduating in 2015. Her previous spaceflight spanned 328 days aboard the ISS across Expeditions 59, 60, and 61, the longest continuous spaceflight for a woman. Koch launched aboard Soyuz MS-12 and landed with MS-13. While in space, she performed six spacewalks, including the first three all-female spacewalks with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.
Image credit: Josh Valcarcel for NASA
Jeremy Hansen – Artemis II Mission Specialist
Hansen served as a CF-18 fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, achieving the rank of colonel, from 2004 to 2009. He was selected for the Canadian Space Agency’s third Astronaut Recruitment Campaign in 2009, completing his training in 2011. In addition to serving as CAPCOM for the ISS, Hansen was a crew member for ESA’s underground CAVES mission in 2013, and an aquanaut for NASA’s NEEMO 19 mission in 2014, both week-long stays in extreme spaceflight analog environments. Artemis II will be Hansen’s first spaceflight, making him the first non-American astronaut to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Jeremy Hansen is a father of three children.
Image credit: Josh Valcarcel for NASA
Andre Douglas – NASA Backup Crew
Douglas served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard from 2008 to 2015, later being commissioned as a reserve commander. He also worked at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University on NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, as well as ballistic missile defense and remote naval vessel projects. His other work with NASA includes work in the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium and a simulated lunar spacewalk test in the Arizona desert. Douglas was selected in 2021 for NASA’s 23rd astronaut class, graduating in 2024. In the event that one of the other three NASA crew members is unable to fly, Douglas would take their place aboard Artemis II, marking his first spaceflight. Andre Douglas is a father of two children.
Image credit: Josh Valcarcel for NASA
Jenni Gibbons – CSA Backup Crew
Gibbons is a mechanical engineer and earned a PhD in engineering with research into combustion processes. She was selected for the CSA’s fourth Astronaut Recruitment Campaign in 2017, becoming the agency’s youngest recruit at age 28. She has served as CAPCOM for the ISS during Expedition 63 and several spacewalks, and has also trained other CSA candidates through spacewalk training. In the event that Jeremy Hansen is unable to fly, Gibbons would take his place aboard Artemis II, marking her first spaceflight.
Image credit: Bill Stafford for NASA
At the time of publication, Artemis II is days away from its historic lunar flight, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program. Since March 18th, the crew have been in quarantine awaiting their flight to space, performing final rehearsals in an isolated environment to avoid contracting any illnesses ahead of launch. In a few days’ time, history’s next lunar astronauts will suit up for their next giant leap.
