NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced to 4 of the astronauts that they will undertake a trip around our natural satellite, on Artemis II. This is the first manned mission that is related to the setting up of a lunar base for space exploration, the agencies already revealed the name of who the crew members will be this Monday, during an event at Elligton Field, very close to the Johnson Space Center. from NASA in Huston, Texas.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson affirms that the Artemis II crew is a representation of the thousands of people who work and work tirelessly to take us to the stars.
Well, without further ado, let’s move on to the names of the people who will take the first step for humanity to return to the Moon; Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and NASA Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen who will serve as deputy specialist on the mission, together they represent a new era of space exploration, perhaps the starting signal for a new dawn of humanity.
For the first time in more than 50 years, these people will be the first humans to circumnavigate the Moon, the astronauts represent the best of the best of humanity, and their mission is space exploration for the benefit of everyone, from scientific discoveries to academic associations, through commercial and industrial associations, and what is now called the Artemis generation.
Let’s get to know a little more about the astronauts.
The Artemis II Mission is Wiseman’s second trip to space, he was a flight engineer aboard the ISS for exploration 41, from May to November 2014, his time in space is more than 160 days, among those days are 13 hours as head of spacewalks on two excursions, while Glover contributed to scientific research and technology demonstrations and participated in four spacewalks.
Koch will also make her second spaceflight aboard Artemis II, she was the space station’s onboard engineer for Expeditions 59, 60 and 61. Koch already holds a flight record as the woman to have made the longest individual spaceflight.
The representative of Canada will debut with her first flight into space, Hansen is a colonel in the Canadian armed forces and a former combat pilot, in addition to having a degree in space sciences from the Royal military college of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, in addition to being Physics teacher from the same institution, as if that were not enough, she also has a specialization in research in the Wide Field of View of satellite tracking.
The Artemis II mission will also make use of new technologies to further explore the lunar surface, collaborating with international and commercial partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. This will serve as a laboratory, since after the base on the moon, the next big jump will be Mars, then successively some satellites of our solar system.
PHOTO DATE: March 29, 2023. LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 – Photo Studio. SUBJECT: Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel