Meet the Artemis 2 Astronauts Launching to the Moon Together
Meet the Artemis 2 astronauts who will fly around the moon on a mission that could lift off as soon as April 1. The four-person crew will fly NASA’s Orion spacecraft on a roughly 10-day flight. The mission aims to pave the way for future lunar landings.
The crew and their roles
The team includes Reid Wiseman as commander. Victor Glover serves as pilot. Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are mission specialists.
Hansen represents the Canadian Space Agency. The trio from NASA join a Canadian crewmember for this flight.
Mission milestones and context
This flight will be the first time humans travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. It will also be the first crewed voyage in the Orion spacecraft.
Victor Glover will become the first Black person to leave low Earth orbit. Christina Koch will be the first woman to do so. Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Training and mission profile
The crew has spent months in simulators and practicing launch-day procedures. They have rehearsed splashdowns and life aboard Orion.
The flight will include a trans-lunar injection burn and a return to Earth ending in a Pacific Ocean splashdown. Recovery will use three main parachutes.
Preparing for future Artemis missions
Teams on the ground plan to use this mission to validate systems for later flights. Artemis 4 is scheduled to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
The Artemis 2 flight is designed to demonstrate capabilities needed for lunar surface missions.
Voices from the crew
Reid Wiseman
Wiseman has focused on mission details and symbolism. He noted design choices in the crew patch that reference Apollo-era imagery.
Victor Glover
Glover emphasized how public reaction could unite people. He also highlighted how crucial splashdown is to the mission’s success and to his family.
Christina Koch
Koch stressed the role of the wider team behind the astronauts. She framed the mission as a collective achievement built on diverse contributions.
Jeremy Hansen
Hansen described a mix of excitement and urgency as launch nears. He hopes the view of Earth from the moon will inspire international cooperation.
Reporting and sources
Filmogaz.com conducted interviews with Wiseman, Glover and Koch in September 2025 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hansen’s comments come from a late-November 2025 Q&A on the Canadian Space Agency’s YouTube channel with entrepreneur Fred Bastien.
This mission will be watched closely. It marks a step toward launching to the moon and demonstrates how astronauts and teams work together. The flight promises both technical tests and symbolic moments for humanity.
