Meet the Artemis II Crew: Four Astronauts Making History

For the first time since Apollo 17 touched down in December 1972, human beings are heading to the Moon. NASA's Artemis II mission — a ten-day free-return trajectory around the lunar far side aboard the Orion spacecraft — carries four people whose individual stories are as remarkable as the mission itself. This is not just a flight crew. It is a cross-section of humanity venturing where almost no one has ever been.

Reid Wiseman: Commander, Naval Aviator, Chief of the Astronaut Office

Reid Wiseman was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1975 and built his path to space through decades of precision under pressure. He earned a degree in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before being commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer in 1997. He earned his naval aviator wings in 1999, flew combat aircraft including the F-14 Tomcat, and was selected for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in 2003.

NASA selected Wiseman in 2009 from thousands of applicants. He later spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, riding a Russian Soyuz capsule to orbit. Before being named Artemis II commander, he served as Chief of the Astronaut Office — the person responsible for managing and advocating for the entire NASA astronaut corps.

On Artemis II, Wiseman holds overall responsibility for the execution, safety, and success of the mission. At 50 years old, he will also become the oldest person to leave low Earth orbit.

Victor Glover: Pilot, Fighter Pilot, Trailblazer

Victor Glover grew up in Pomona, California, and graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's degree in general engineering in 1999. He did not stop there. Between 2007 and 2010, Glover earned three master's degrees from three different institutions — a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering from Air University, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University.

His Navy career took him to combat deployments, accumulating 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrested landings, and 24 combat missions. NASA selected him in 2013. In 2020, he flew on the first operational Crew Dragon flight to the ISS, where he became the first African American astronaut to serve as a long-duration crew member — living on station for more than six months as part of Expeditions 64 and 65.

On Artemis II, Glover serves as pilot. He will be the first person of color ever to travel beyond low Earth orbit. He has spoken openly about what that milestone means for future generations, particularly for young Black kids who may one day look up at the Moon knowing one of their own has been there.

Christina Koch: Mission Specialist, Engineer, Record-Holder

Christina Koch is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who earned Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering and physics, plus a Master of Science in electrical engineering, all from North Carolina State University. Before becoming an astronaut, her career spanned space science instrument development and remote field engineering — including time working in the Antarctic and Arctic.

NASA selected her as part of the astronaut class of 2013. On October 18, 2019, Koch and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk in history, replacing a power control unit on the exterior of the ISS. Koch then went on to set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman — 328 consecutive days in orbit, returning to Earth in February 2020.

On Artemis II, Koch is a mission specialist responsible for scientific operations and specialized equipment. She will be the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit — a milestone 55 years in the making since the Apollo era excluded women entirely.

Jeremy Hansen: Mission Specialist, Colonel, First-Timer

Jeremy Hansen was born January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, and raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig before his family moved to Ingersoll, Ontario. His path to space began young: he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets at age 12, earned his glider wings at 16, and had a private pilot license at 17. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston with a bachelor's degree in space science in 1999, then added a master's degree in physics in 2000, with a thesis focused on satellite tracking.

Hansen went on to fly CF-18 fighter jets with the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving with NORAD squadrons in Cold Lake, Alberta. The Canadian Space Agency selected him in 2009 alongside David Saint-Jacques. He later became the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut training class.

Artemis II will be Hansen's first spaceflight. He will be the first Canadian — and the first non-American — ever to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Canada's participation in Artemis II is tied to its contribution of the Canadarm3 robotic system for the future Gateway lunar outpost, ensuring Canadian astronauts a seat on lunar missions for years to come.

A Crew That Reflects Where Space Exploration Is Heading

The Artemis II crew is not a collection of firsts by accident. NASA's Artemis program was built with an explicit goal of returning humans to the Moon with a crew that is more representative of humanity than the Apollo era allowed. Every one of the four crew members holds a distinction no human being has ever carried before them.

The mission launched on April 1, 2026, aboard the Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center. On Flight Day 6, the crew will reach the Moon and fly approximately 4,600 miles beyond the lunar far side — the farthest any humans have ever traveled from Earth, surpassing even the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. After ten days, Orion will return and splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

When it does, four people will have made history in ways that extend far beyond the Moon. They will have permanently changed who gets to be part of the story of humanity reaching for deep space — and that change will be felt for generations.

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Scientific Facts Verification

Fact	Value	Source
Koch's space record	328 consecutive days	NASA
Wiseman's ISS stay	165 days (2014)	NASA
Glover's flight hours	3,000+ hours, 40+ aircraft	NASA / Cal Poly
Artemis II launch date	April 1, 2026	NASA
Lunar far side flyby altitude	~4,600 miles beyond lunar far side	NASA
Mission duration	10 days	NASA
Last crewed lunar mission	Apollo 17, December 1972	NASA