First Moon Mission Since 1972 To Include First Woman, Black, Canadian

Artemis II will be piloted by the first woman, African American, and Canadian ever to reach the moon, NASA said. The mission will be the first human flight to the moon in more than 50 years.

The crew includes mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and mission specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen. Wiseman, Glover, and Koch, are Americans. They've been to space before. Hansen is Canadian. Artemis II will be his first trip to space.

The 10-day mission is set to launch in November 2024. It will carry the astronauts around the moon and back. Artemis III in 2025 will follow. That mission will land astronauts on the moon. People have not been on the moon since 1972. NASA promises that flight will include the first woman to step on the moon.

The program’s long-term goal is to set up a lunar base. It will be used to help future missions to Mars.

“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working…to bring us to the stars,” said NASA’s top official. “This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew.” 

For Koch and Glover, Artemis II marks a continuation of firsts in the space program. Glover, 46, was the first African American to take part in an extended-duration expedition on the International Space Station. He has lived in space for 167 days.

Koch, 43, has spent 328 days in space. That's more than any other female astronaut. She and Jessica Mur became the first all-female duo to carry out a spacewalk together.

Hansen, 47, called it “glorious” that a Canadian is part of the mission.

Photos from Reuters.