
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
NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue - 2
Figure out How to Streamline Your Profits in Gold Speculation - 3
Louisiana seeks California doctor’s extradition, testing the limits of shield laws - 4
Argentina joins NASA’s moon return with microsatellite testing GPS beyond Earth - 5
Solar storms can trigger auroras on Earth. This star’s explosion could destroy a planet’s atmosphere
Meet Beef the bulldog, who takes slow walks with his 78-year-old friend
Golden satellite insulation sparkles during test | Space photo of the day for Dec. 30, 2025
This is Countdown, CNN’s newsletter covering NASA’s first time sending humans to deep space in over 50 years
Porsche May Kill the Electric Boxster Before It Ever Arrives
Mobility exercises are an important part of fitness as we age. Here are some tips
Interpreter Starts Sobbing as 11-Year-Old Testifies About Last Time He Saw His Mom Before She Was Killed in Missile Strike
When preventable infections turn deadly behind bars | The Excerpt
7 Powerful Techniques to Boost Efficiency with Your Cell Phone: A Thorough Aide
IDF continues counterterrorism operations in Gaza Strip, including destroying terror tunnels













