NASA Artemis II Astronaut Announcement: Watch Live

NASA on Monday named four astronauts to orbit the moon later next year, including the first woman and first African-American assigned to a lunar mission.

The first lunar crew in 50 years (three Americans and one Canadian) was introduced at a ceremony in Houston, home of the nation’s astronauts and mission control.

“This is the human crew,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The four astronauts will be the first to fly NASA’s Orion capsule, which will launch from Kennedy Space Center aboard a Space Launch System rocket by late 2024. Rather than landing or entering lunar orbit, they will fly straight around the moon. Prelude to the moon landing by the other two a year after returning to Earth.

Mission commander Reed Wiseman will be joined by African-American naval aviator Victor Glover. Christina Koch holds the world record for longest space flight by a woman. Canadian Jeremy Hansen is a former fighter pilot and the only space rookie on the crew. Weisman, Glover, and Koch all live on the International Space Station. All four are in their 40s.

“This is a big day. There is so much to celebrate and so much more than the four names that have been announced,” Glover said.

This is the first lunar crew to include someone from outside the United States, and the first crew of NASA’s new moon program named Artemis after the twin sisters of the mythical Apollo. Late last year, Orion his capsule in the sky flew to the moon and returned with his long-awaited dress rehearsal.

“Am I excited? Are you?’” She cheered even more.

The Canadian Space Agency won the seat by equipping NASA’s Space Shuttle and Space Station with large robotic arms. One is also planned for the Moon Project.

Hansen said he was grateful that Canada was included on the flight.

“We’re going to the moon together. Let’s go!” he said.

During the Apollo program, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon from 1968 to 1972, 12 of whom landed. Harrison on Apollo 17, except for his Schmidt, were all military-trained men test his pilots. Harrison Schmidt is the geologist who, along with the late Gene Cernan, closed out the moon landing era.

If this next 10 days of lunar surface photography goes well, NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by around 2025.

NASA selected the first Artemis crew from 41 active-duty astronauts. Canada had four candidates for her. Almost all of them attended Monday’s ceremony at Ellington Field at Johnson Space Center. The ceremony was a kind of pep rally that ended with Wiseman leading the crowd in chant.

Congratulations came from retired astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 and Scott Kelly, the first American to spend nearly a year in space. Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the space station ten years ago and David Bowie’s I played “Space Oddity” from orbit.

President Joe Biden spoke with four astronauts and their families on Sunday. In a tweet on Monday, Biden said the mission was to “inspire the next generation of explorers and show every child in America, Canada, and the world that if they can dream it, they can do it.” Let’s go,’ he said.