After several delays, the Artemis 1 moon rocket successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday morning.
MERRITT ISLAND, Florida – Four astronauts are preparing to return to the Moon as we inch closer to the launch of the Artemis II mission the world has been waiting for.
Building upon the success of the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, the Artemis II mission will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, marking humanity’s return to the moon as the first crewed mission to the moon’s vicinity since 1972.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, integrated for the Artemis II mission, are seen at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 30, 2026.
((Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
After years of preparation, delays and obstacles, the eyes of the world will be on the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida in April for the long-awaited launch of Artemis II.
There will be four humans onboard Artemis II for the mission that marks a key step toward a long‑term return to the Moon and future missions to Mars.
NASA’S ARTEMIS MISSIONS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF THE HISTORIC MOON LAUNCH
Let’s meet the astronauts attempting to go further than no human before them.
Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot, and Christina Koch, mission specialist, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist.
(NASA/Kim Shiflett / NASA)
On Friday, the Artemis II crew held a pre-launch press conference highlighting the historic mission at hand.
COMMANDER REID WISEMAN
Leading the Artemis II mission to the moon is Commander Reid Wiseman.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” Wiseman said at Friday’s press conference.
A 27-year U.S. Navy veteran, Wiseman was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2009.
No stranger to space, he served as Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41 for 165 days in 2014, completing over 300 scientific experiments, while logging 13 hours as lead spacewalker.
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman.
(NASA)
In his personal life, Wiseman is a father of two daughters. Following the death of his wife in 2020, he has raised them as a single parent—an experience he considers both his greatest challenge and his most meaningful responsibility.
A Baltimore, Maryland native, Wiseman graduated from Dulaney High School in 1993; earned a B.S. in Computer and Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1997, an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2006, in addition to a Certificate in Space Systems.
WHAT DOES THE ARTEMIS SYMBOL MEAN?
PILOT VICTOR GLOVER
Victor J. Glover Jr. was selected to serve as the pilot for the Artemis II mission.
First selected as an astronaut in 2013 while he was serving as a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate, Glover served as pilot of the Crew-1 dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, which flew to the International Space Station, where he also served as Flight Engineer for Expedition 64/65.
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover.
(NASA)
Looking towards the future, Glover said on Friday, “My first mission, the dream of going to space because it was my first time, was there. It was front and center… This mission is much more about duty and responsibility so we can pass the baton off for this campaign called Artemis with its lofty goals.”
NASA PAUSES GATEWAY LUNAR-ORBIT SPACE STATION TO BUILD LUNAR BASE ON THE MOON
In his storied career with the U.S. Navy, Glover accumulated 3,500 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrest landings and 24 combat missions.
A California native, Glover graduated from Ontario High School in 1994; earned a B.S. in General Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1999; an M.S. in Flight Test Engineering from the USAF Test Pilot School at Air University in 2007; an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School (2009); and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University (2010).
In his personal life, Glover is a married father of four.
MISSION SPECIALIST CHRISTINA KOCH
With the Artemis II mission, Mission Specialist Christina Koch is set to become the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit—a milestone that builds on her record of trailblazing achievements in space.
“The thing to celebrate is that we as a world, are actually living in an era where we know that we have to go for all, and by all in order to answer humanity’s call to explore,” Koch said at a pre-launch press conference on March 27.
According to NASA, Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space, and she participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 59, 60 and 61.
Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch.
(NASA)
Koch, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and was living in Livingston, Montana, when she was selected for the Astronaut Corps.
Koch attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering and studied abroad at the University of Ghana. She attended high school at the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, North Carolina and White Oak High School in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
On Artemis II, Koch will serve as a mission specialist.
MISSION SPECIALIST JEREMY HANSEN
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will serve as a mission specialist on Artemis II, slated to become the first Canadian to ever venture into deep space.
“I feel a great sense of pride for Canada, because I have seen the greatness that we have within the country and the contributions that we are capable of making… We often say in this crew, the point is not being the first. It’s making sure you’re not the last,” Hansen said at Friday’s press conference.
Hansen is from London, Ontario, and was a fighter pilot before joining the CSA. He currently works with NASA on astronaut training and mission operations, according to NASA.
Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
(NASA)
He is married with three children and enjoys sailboat cruising and racing, rock climbing and mountain biking in his free time.
On Artemis II, Hansen will serve as a mission specialist.
