We’re Returning to the Moon! Meet the Crew of Artemis II
NASA has officially announced the crew for Artemis II, marking humanity’s first return to the Moon in over five decades.
The four astronauts selected for this historic mission are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch—who holds the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman—and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. While Artemis II will not include a lunar landing, it will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. This mission also makes history by including the first woman and the first person of color to journey to the Moon. Koch and Glover will also become the first woman and person of color to venture into deep space.
NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson described the mission’s significance, stating, “Together we will usher in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers — the Artemis generation.”
Artemis II follows the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission, which orbited the Moon in late 2022. Scheduled for November 2024, Artemis II is expected to last up to 21 days and will mark the first astronaut launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B since the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2006.
The crew will travel farther than any humans have gone since Apollo, coming within 10,000 kilometers (6,100 miles) of the Moon’s far side. This mission is the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. The SLS, the most powerful rocket ever built, has already surpassed expectations. Similarly, the Orion capsule exceeded performance metrics during Artemis I, completing over 161 test objectives, including several added during the flight due to its outstanding capabilities. The European-built service module further impressed by generating 20% more power and using 25% less energy than anticipated.
Artemis II will validate these systems with a crew aboard, ensuring safety and reliability for future missions. While it won’t involve a lunar landing, the mission will lay the groundwork for subsequent expeditions, including the highly anticipated Artemis III. If all goes well, Artemis III could see humans land at the Moon’s South Pole as early as November 2025.
