NASA has announced the four astronauts who will be part of the Artemis II lunar flyby mission, set to take place in November 2024. The crew will include NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. The mission is expected to last about 10 days and send the crew out beyond the moon, potentially further than any human has traveled in history. The Artemis II mission will pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is expected to put the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface later this decade.
The Artemis program is part of NASA’s plan to establish a permanent lunar outpost, allowing astronauts to live and work deeper into space long term, as NASA and its partners map a path to sending the first humans to Mars. The Artemis program is NASA’s initiative to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there, with the goal of eventually sending astronauts to Mars. Artemis III is currently targeted for a 2025 launch, but delays may push that date back to 2026 or later. The mission will involve landing astronauts on the Moon’s surface, including the first woman and person of color, and conducting a range of scientific and exploration activities. NASA is also developing key technologies and infrastructure, such as the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and a lunar lander, to support the Artemis program and enable deeper space exploration.
