NASA has announced the first woman and the first Black astronaut to be assigned to a four-member team lunar mission.
On Monday (April 3), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration unveiled the crew for its first human mission to the Moon at a media event at the Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.
The joint project between the space organization and the Canadian Space Agency will showcase three Americans and one Canadian taking flight.
One of the astronauts included is Christina Koch - an engineer who holds the record for the longest ongoing spaceflight by a woman - and she was named as a mission specialist.
In addition to this, US Navy aviator Victor Glover - who was part of the second crewed flight of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule - was chosen as the Artemis II pilot. He would become the first astronaut of color to be sent on a lunar mission.
Completing the team are 47-year-old astronaut Reid Wiseman, who will be the mission commander, and also 47-year-old Jeremy Hansen, who is a former fighter pilot now with the Canadian Space Agency.
The three Americans and one Canadian will become the first astronauts to venture into deep space since the Apollo missions ended in 1972. They will voyage around the moon and back to Earth on a 10-day mission preparing for Artemis III.
The organization's aim for the task is to launch a long-term presence on the moon. The flight will launch the agency's Space Launch System rocket, establish the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems and also glance into the abilities and techniques required for humans to live and function in space.
The mission commander shared that the diverse team was made up of "exceptional operators," noting, "We’re just all professional explorers," as cited by News.com.au. He added that they are "representing" their nations.
According to The Mirror, Vanessa Wyche, the director of the Johnson Space Center spoke about the historic assignment and said: "For the first time in more than 50 years, these individuals- the Artemis II crew - will be the first humans to fly to the vicinity of the moon."
"Among the crew are the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all," she continued.
"This mission paves the way for the expansion of human deep space exploration and presents new opportunities for scientific discoveries, commercial, industry, and academic partnerships, and the Artemis Generation," she added.
Good luck to the team on this exciting mission!