
April 1 (Reuters) - All three NASA astronauts on the Artemis II lunar mission are veterans of Earth-orbit science expeditions to the International Space Station, while the lone Canadian joining them on a voyage around the moon and back is a spaceflight rookie.
Here are some highlights from the careers of mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, all U.S. astronauts, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, also a mission specialist.
MISSION COMMANDER REID WISEMAN
Wiseman, 50, logged 165 days aboard the International Space Station during a 2014 mission, flying to the orbiting platform aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. A former U.S. Navy test pilot, he later served as NASA's chief astronaut before being selected to command Artemis II.
PILOT VICTOR GLOVER
Glover, 49, spent 168 days in orbit beginning in 2020 as pilot of NASA's Crew-1 flight, the first full-fledged ISS mission using SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to the space station. Before joining NASA, he flew more than 40 aircraft during a U.S. Navy career that included combat deployments and test-pilot duties. A veteran of four spacewalks, he is the first Black astronaut ever to be sent on a lunar mission.
MISSION SPECIALIST CHRISTINA KOCH
Koch, 47, set a record in 2019 for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 days aboard the ISS, and was part of NASA's first three all-female spacewalks. Trained as an electrical engineer and physicist, she previously worked as a NASA engineer and carried out extended research expeditions in Antarctica. She is the first woman to fly on a moon-bound mission.
MISSION SPECIALIST JEREMY HANSEN
Hansen, 50, a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, is the first Canadian, and first non-U.S. citizen, sent on a lunar mission even as he makes his own first spaceflight. He was selected for Canada's astronaut corps in 2009, and his seat aboard Artemis II reflects a long-standing U.S.–Canadian partnership in human spaceflight, including Canada's contributions to robotics used aboard the ISS.
(Compiled by Joey Roulette in Cape Canaveral, Florida and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie Freed)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS isn't an alien spacecraft, astronomers confirm. 'In the end, there were no surprises.' - 2
Protester climbs on to balcony of Iranian embassy in London - 3
Reporter's notebook: Inside the IDF’s ‘Hamas Village,’ and how Israel is rewriting urban warfare - 4
9 Under-The-Radar Malaysian Islands To Consider Instead Of Thailand Or Indonesia - 5
Living in the dark: Gaza’s struggle for electricity
Partake in the Outside: Senior-Accommodating Exercises for 2024
From White Elephant to Favorite Things parties, here are all the rules you need to know every kind of gift exchange
Top 20 Wellbeing and Wellness Applications for a Sound Way of life
What loving-kindness meditation is and how to practice it in the new year
Hezbollah fires over 600 times at Israel, IDF troops over last 24 hours
Conquering Social Generalizations: Individual Accounts of Strengthening
Trump awarded 1st FIFA Peace Prize by Gianni Infantino at 2026 World Cup draw
Spain and Catholic Church agree to compensate sex abuse victims
Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Wellness Destination Is A Luxurious Italian Retreat












