The first humans traveling to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 have departed on NASA’s Artemis II, inaugurating a new space age.
This mission, unlike its Apollo predecessors, will not land but will instead orbit the Moon before returning to Earth, serving as a proving ground for a potential landing at some point this decade. The focus here will be on testing the necessary systems as well as, as seen below, some people who break a few boundaries of their own.
Reid Wiseman – The Commander
Leading the mission as commander is astronaut Reid Wiseman, an ex-chief astronaut and former U.S. Navy test pilot who has previously logged 165 days on the International Space Station. He offers a leadership and a breadth of experience that, rather than a focus on being ‘first,’ allows humanity to make the leap back beyond Earth’s orbit.
Victor Glover – The First Black Astronaut to Venture to the Moon
Victor Glover makes history by becoming the first Black astronaut assigned to a mission headed toward the Moon. He also achieved another ‘first’ with his lengthy stay aboard the International Space Station and this latest mission expands on that by ensuring he will be the first human of color to travel into deep lunar space.
Christina Koch – The First Woman to Travel to the Moon’s Orbit
Christina Koch has previously earned the record for the longest-duration spaceflight ever undertaken by a woman (328 days) and was the first woman to complete the first all-female spacewalks. Now, she makes history yet again by being the first woman to travel to the Moon.
Jeremy Hansen – The First Non-American to Reach Lunar Space
This astronaut makes history by becoming the first non-American to be assigned to a Moon mission. Colonel Jeremy Hansen of the Royal Canadian Air Force and a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, his first trip to space will also be his first journey to lunar space.
The mission that breaks boundaries farther than any distance previously reached by mankind. The Artemis II mission’s objectives extend beyond symbolism. Astronauts will travel farther than any human ever has and the systems to successfully land on the Moon will be put to the test on the 10-day round-trip to lunar orbit.
