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Meet the Artemis Crew in NASA’s First Astronaut Mission to the Moon in More Than a Half-Century

April 1, 2026

NASA's upcoming Artemis lunar mission represents a stark departure from the Apollo era, featuring a diverse four-person crew that includes a woman, a Black astronaut, and a Canadian—none of whom were alive during the original moon missions. The crew, led by 50-year-old widower Reid Wiseman, will not land on or orbit the moon but will travel thousands of miles beyond where Apollo astronauts ventured on a nearly 10-day journey. The mission includes Victor Glover, one of NASA's few Black astronauts who views his participation as providing hope to others, Christina Koch, who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian making his space debut as his country's first lunar emissary.

Who is affected

  • Reid Wiseman (mission commander) and his two teenage daughters
  • Victor Glover and his four daughters in their late teens and early 20s
  • Christina Koch and her husband
  • Jeremy Hansen, his college-aged son, and twin daughters
  • Canada (represented for the first time on a lunar mission)
  • NASA and the astronaut corps
  • Future astronaut crews planned for 2027 and 2028 missions

What action is being taken

  • The four astronauts are preparing for NASA's Artemis mission, a nearly 10-day journey that will take them thousands of miles beyond the moon. Wiseman is preparing his daughters for his departure while Glover is spending time and thought preparing his daughters alongside his NASA training.

Why it matters

  • This mission marks a significant shift toward diversity and inclusion in space exploration, representing a stark contrast to the all-white, all-male Apollo crews from over half a century ago. The mission aims to pave the path for future moon landings, including a 2027 practice docking mission and a 2028 moon landing. It demonstrates progress in addressing historical inequities in space exploration and provides hope and representation for underrepresented groups. The mission will also venture deeper into space than Apollo astronauts, promising unprecedented views of the lunar far side.

What's next

  • A 2027 practice docking mission in orbit around Earth between an Orion crew capsule and one or two lunar landers
  • A 2028 moon landing mission with a different set of astronauts

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint