NASA’s Artemis II mission is making history as the agency’s first crewed journey around the Moon in more than 50 years. The four astronauts launched on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. ET aboard the Orion spacecraft and have since completed a close flyby of the lunar surface, marking a major milestone in the mission.
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen make up the Artemis II crew, each playing a key role as the mission continues to test critical systems ahead of future lunar landings. Their journey represents a major step in NASA’s return to deep space exploration.
Learn more about the astronauts leading this milestone mission below.
Reid Wiseman
Wiseman is a veteran NASA astronaut and the commander of Artemis II. A former naval aviator and engineer, he previously spent about six months aboard the International Space Station in 2014. He has also served as chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, helping oversee astronaut training and mission assignments.
On Artemis II, he will lead the crew on the roughly 10-day mission, guiding operations as they travel beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in more than 50 years.
Victor Glover
Glover is a NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy captain who will serve as the pilot of Artemis II. A decorated test pilot, he previously flew on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission and became the first Black astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station for a long-duration mission.
On Artemis II, he will play a key role in operating the Orion spacecraft and helping guide the mission as it pushes farther into deep space than any human flight in decades.
Christina Koch
Koch is a NASA astronaut and mission specialist on Artemis II. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman after spending 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station. During that mission, she also took part in the first all-female spacewalk.
On Artemis II, she will support spacecraft systems and experiments—and is set to become the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit and fly around the Moon.
Jeremy Hansen
Hansen is a Canadian astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency and a former fighter pilot. Serving as a mission specialist on Artemis II, this will be his first trip to space.
He is set to become the first Canadian—and one of the first non-Americans—to travel beyond low Earth orbit and around the Moon, highlighting the international collaboration behind the mission.
