NASA has announce the four cosmonaut that will make up the crew of Artemis II , the next gradation in the challenging mission to hark back human being to the control surface of the Moon .
The four spaceman announced today are NASA ’s Reid Wiseman , Victor Glover , and criminal record - breakingChristina Koch , and Canadian cosmonaut Jeremy Hansen . The mission will not land on the Moon but it will be the first crewed mission to go to the Moon in over half a hundred , and include the first cleaning lady and the first person of color to go to the Moon . Koch and Glover will also be the first fair sex and mortal of color to ever travel to deep space .
" Together we will usher in Modern earned run average of geographic expedition for a newfangled multiplication of star sailors and dreamers — theArtemisgeneration , " NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson pronounce during thepress league .
Artemis II follows on from the successful test ofArtemis I , which flew around the Moon at the conclusion of 2022 . The mission will last a maximum of 21 days and it is carry to launch inNovember 2024 . This will also be the first astronaut launch from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center since Space Shuttle Discovery in 2006 .
Artemis II will be the furthermost humans have gone since Apollo 17 in 1972 . They will pilot as secretive as 10,000 kilometre ( 6,100 geographical mile ) from the far side of the Moon . The mission is the first crew test flight for NASA ’s megarocket , the Space Launch System ( SLS ) , and the Orion spacecraft . Artemis I was hit by many necessarydelays , but the success of the initial trial run escape for both the SLS and Orion was deserving the delay .
The SLS rocket was themost knock-down rocket ever to launchand it did n’t just get a passing grade , it excelled . It outperformed the many expectations NASA and beyond had for it . The Orion capsule complete more than 161 test objectives and of those , 20 were added during its flight of stairs because it was doing so well . The European - built service module generated 20 percent more index and used 25 percent less vigor than predicted , a very welcome fact for future missionary post .
Artemis II will continue to test the rocket and capsule but this fourth dimension with a crew , experience that the systems have shown people on table can be safe . While not landing on the Moon , it will inform future Moon - landing missions and all other deep place crewed missions around the Moon .
Assuming the success of Artemis II , Artemis IIIwill see man down at the Moon ’s South Pole potentially in November 2025 .