By all accounts, the Artemis program is one of the largest undertakings NASA has seen. Last year, the first mission in the program successfully completed a trip around the Moon, traveling as an uncrewed craft making a lunar flyby. Now, all eyes are on Artemis II, the mission that will follow a similar flight path; only this time, the Orion craft is going to have a crew aboard. Given the importance of the Artemis II mission, NASA’s treating it like the big deal it is, even releasing a poster similar to what you might expect from Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster.
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Wednesday, NASA unveiled an image of an astronaut donning one of the new Artemis II suits, walking against a black background. You may think it’s a teaser for Ad Astra or Interstellar but no, it’s an incredible poster for one of the most important lunar missions NASA has ever worked on.
Who’s on the Artemis II crew?
Earlier this month, officials from NASA and the CSA—the Canadian Space Agency—unveiled the four astronauts making up the Artemis II crew. The three NASAS astronauts a part of the mission include Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist I Christina Hammock Koch. The CSA’s Jeremy Hansen rounds out the group as Mission Specialist II.
“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity’s crew,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a press conference weeks ago. “NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation.”
Artemis II is expected to last around 10 days, and will follow a similar flight path to that of Artemis I late last year. The program and crew is currently set to launch to space next November, giving them nearly two full years to prepare for the mission. While those on the crew won’t return to the lunar surface—something being saved for Artemis III in 2025—they will be the humans to travel furthest in space since Apollo 13 in 1970.
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