NASA is set to reveal the names of the four astronauts who will be flying the Artemis II mission to orbit the moon. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2024 and will be the first crewed mission to orbit the moon under the Artemis program. This will also be the first time humans will fly farther into space since the Apollo program. The crew will be flying aboard the world’s most powerful rocket at a cost of around $100 billion. Some of the candidates for the mission include Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Randy Bresnik, Anne McClain, Stephanie Wilson, Christina Koch, and Jessica Meir.
The crew will also include one astronaut from Canada. Jeremy Hansen is the Canadian astronaut generating the most buzz, as he was selected to be an astronaut almost 14 years ago but has yet to receive his first flight assignment. NASA’s Artemis III mission is currently scheduled to take place in 2024, although there have been some recent indications that the timeline may be pushed back slightly. This mission is intended to land astronauts on the lunar surface, with the goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon in the years to come. The mission will be preceded by several other Artemis missions, including Artemis II, which is an uncrewed test flight that will orbit the moon and return to Earth.
As you mentioned, the Artemis III mission will be historic in that it will include the first woman and person of color to set foot on the moon. NASA is currently working on developing the technologies needed for this mission, including a new generation of spacesuits that can withstand the harsh lunar environment and a lunar lander that can safely transport astronauts to and from the surface of the moon.
