
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
Watch live as near-Earth asteroid Eros buzzes the Andromeda Galaxy on Nov. 30 (video) - 2
Sophie Kinsella, 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' author, dies at 55 after battle with cancer - 3
Beneficial Growing Conditions in West Africa Weigh on Cocoa Prices - 4
How did birds survive while dinosaurs went extinct? - 5
Early Thanksgiving week forecast: Where Americans can expect cold, rain and snow for the holiday
Must-See Attractions in France
'Seditious behavior': Trump accuses Democrats who made video reminding the military not to follow illegal orders of a crime — but is it?
Find Your Internal Culinary expert: Cooking Strategies and Recipes
What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams
How to sound like an astronaut as you follow the first human moon mission in more than half a century
Analysis-NASA's moon mission tests aerospace old guard as SpaceX, Blue Origin hover
Federal judge upholds Hawaii's new climate change tax on cruise passengers
Manhunt for Brown University shooter continues: FBI releases photos of suspect, announces $50K reward
From blowouts to big interiors, ‘Tuscan Mom’ style is Gen Z’s answer to beige burnout












