Introduction
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission represent a sharp departure from the Apollo era. More than half a century ago, the men who traveled to the Moon were all white, male military test pilots. By contrast, the Artemis II crew includes a woman, a person of color, and a Canadian – reflecting the growing diversity of today’s astronaut corps. None of them were alive during Apollo, when 24 astronauts journeyed to the Moon and 12 walked on its surface. Although this mission will not land on the Moon or even enter lunar orbit, the out‑and‑back voyage will take them farther from Earth than any Apollo astronaut ever traveled, offering unprecedented views of the far side of the Moon.
Commander Reid Wiseman: A Widower and Single Father
Leading the nearly ten‑day mission is Reid Wiseman, a 50‑year‑old retired Navy captain from Baltimore. Wiseman served as NASA’s chief astronaut when he was asked, three years ago, to command humanity’s first lunar trip since 1972. His wife, Carroll, died of cancer in 2020 – a loss that gave him pause. He had already spent more than five months aboard the International Space Station in 2014. His two teenage daughters, especially the elder, had “zero interest” in seeing him launch again.
Wiseman explained to them: “Of all the people on planet Earth right now, there are four people that are in a position to go fly around the Moon. I cannot say no to that opportunity.” The next day, his daughters showed their support with homemade moon‑themed cupcakes. He says the hardest part is not leaving them but “the stress that I’m putting on them.” Recently, he told them where he keeps his will, as he is open with them about everything.
Pilot Victor Glover: A Force for Good
Victor Glover, 49, is one of NASA’s few Black astronauts. A Navy captain and former combat pilot from Pomona, California, he sees his presence on the mission as “a force for good.” He makes a habit of listening to Gil Scott‑Heron’s “Whitey on the Moon” and Marvin Gaye’s “Make Me Wanna Holler” – songs from the white‑dominated Apollo era – “to capture what we did well, what we did poorly.”
Glover has one spaceflight behind him: an early SpaceX crew mission to the International Space Station. He finds himself in new personal territory as his four daughters are now in their late teens and early twenties. “I spend as much time and thought preparing them as NASA does preparing me,” he says. He is hyper‑focused on running “our best race so that we can hand the baton off to the next leg” – a practice docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for 2027, followed by a lunar landing in 2028 with another crew.
Mission Specialist Christina Koch: Record‑Holder and Role Model
Christina Koch, 47, is an electrical engineer from Jacksonville, North Carolina. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman – 328 days. During her lengthy stay at the space station in 2019, she took part in the first all‑female spacewalk.
Having spent a year at a South Pole research station before joining NASA, Koch feels she has “inoculated” most of her family and friends against worry. “So far, I haven’t gotten too many nerves from folks. Maybe my dog, but I’ve reassured her that it’s only 10 days. It’s not going to be as long as last time.” She notes that more than any one individual, “it’s about celebrating the fact that we’ve arrived to this place in history” where women can fly to the Moon.
Canadian Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen: First Lunar Emissary
Jeremy Hansen, 50, is a Canadian fighter pilot and physicist making his space debut. He also serves as his country’s first emissary to the Moon. “Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t feel a lot of personal pressure,” he says.
Hansen grew up on a farm near London, Ontario. The Canadian Space Agency selected him as an astronaut in 2009, and he was named to the Artemis crew in 2023. He now realizes how much effort it took to send men to the Moon during Apollo. “When I walk out and I look at the Moon now, it looks and feels a little bit farther than it used to be,” he admits. “I just understand in the details how much harder it is than I thought it was.”
He has been honest with his college‑aged son and twin daughters about the risks. “The most likely outcome is that we will come back safe. There’s a chance we won’t, and you will be able to move through life even if that happens,” he assured them.
Conclusion
The Artemis II crew – Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen – will not set foot on the Moon this time. Yet their journey, which aims to pave the way for future lunar landings, already stands as a milestone in the new era of space exploration.