Photo: NASA/Kim Shiflett
At 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2026, the Orion spacecraft took off, bound for Earth’s nearest neighbor. The launch is part of NASA’s planned Artemis II mission, and it’s set to make history as the first manned flight taking humans the farthest they’ve ever been in space. But that’s not all; for the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts are returning to the moon to orbit it. Should all go according to plan, the crew will be gone for about 10 days, reaching roughly 4,700 miles, and return to Earth on a free-fall trajectory. But who is the brave and adventurous crew attempting this journey?
NASA announced the four crew members on the Orion in 2023. They are: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Calling them the “next generation of explorers,” each crew member has specific skill sets that will help make the mission and the research conducted on board a success.
Scroll down to learn more about each of the crew members. For the latest on the Artemis II mission, follow along on the NASA website.
Meet the four crew members on the Orion spacecraft headed toward the moon.
Photo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Reid Wiseman, Commander
Reid Wiseman. (Photo: NASA/Glenn Benson)
A 27-year Navy veteran, Reid Wiseman was selected to be an astronaut by NASA in 2009 and, in 2014, completed a 165-day mission aboard the International Space Station.
Victor Glover, Pilot
Victor Glover. (Photo: NASA/Frank Michaux)
Victor Glover became an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate. As a Naval Aviator, he has been a test pilot and logged more than 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft.
Christina Koch, Mission Specialist
Christina Koch. (Photo: NASA/Frank Michaux)
Christina Koch is a record setter and a pioneer. She holds the title for longest single spaceflight by a woman, totaling 328 days in space, and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist
Jeremy Hansen, CSA (Canadian Space Agency). (Photo: NASA/Kim Shiflett)
Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to ever venture to the moon. Previously, he was a crew member of NEEMO 19, where he lived and worked on the ocean floor to simulate deep-space exploration.
Source: Our Artemis Crew
All images via NASA.
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