NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission will be an incredible milestone for human space exploration. It gears up for the first crewed flight of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. This mission takes place over the course of 10 days. Its purpose is to return a crew of astronauts farther into deep space than any human has ever traveled before—laying the ground for a potential human landing on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s.
The Artemis II crew consists of four highly qualified astronauts: Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman. This diverse team brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the mission. Hansen continued these explorations when he joined the Canadian Space Agency in 2009 after serving his home country as a fighter pilot. Today, he is poised to become the first Canadian astronaut to go to the Moon.
Victor Glover, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013, has previously served as pilot on SpaceX Crew-1 and has three master’s degrees. His extensive experience in spaceflight, both as an astronaut and a leader, will prove invaluable as he leads the Crew on this unprecedented journey. Christina Koch, born in Michigan, is an astronaut since 2013. In 2019, she broke barriers as the first woman to work on the International Space Station (ISS). During that time aboard the ISS, Georgine set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Reid Wiseman, a US Navy veteran and making his first journey into space, has 27 years of military experience. His deep experience in aviation and space operations will bring unique expertise.
During their 10-day mission, the astronauts will spend most of their time in about nine cubic meters (319 cubic feet) of living space inside Orion. The crew’s primary task will be to test how Orion performs in Earth orbit. They will practice steering and aligning the spacecraft to land safely ahead of upcoming lunar landings. Once they’ve completed their preparation, they’ll start on an exciting adventure. From there, they’ll travel in excess of 10,000 kilometers past the moon to test Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, and navigation systems.
The Artemis II mission is more than just a crewed test flight. It is a critically important step for NASA in their ongoing effort to return humans to the lunar surface. By exploring new frontiers and pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight, NASA aims to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars and beyond.