NASA is preparing to launch its first crewed lunar mission in more than five decades. The Artemis II flight, which will fly around the moon rather than land on it, will involve four astronauts and last about 10 days.
The U.S. space agency is currently targeting no later than April 2026 for the highly anticipated launch, though last month a NASA official revealed that the launch window could open as early as February 5.
Until then, the Artemis II astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — will continue the intense training they’re been undergoing ever since they were announced for the mission in April 2023.
While Wiseman, Glover, and Koch are all from the U.S., Hansen is a Canadian, making Artemis II the first-ever lunar mission to involve a non-American astronaut.
“I just want Canadians to feel that pride,” 49-year-old Hansen told CBC when he was announced as part of the Artemis II crew. “I just want Canadians to realize, hey, we are up to big things here in Canada and can accomplish the seemingly impossible if we believe in ourselves.”
With the country rightly proud of having one of its own as part of the lunar crew, former government minister François-Philippe Champagne said that Hansen was “at the forefront of one of the most ambitious human endeavors ever undertaken,” adding, “Canada’s participation in the Artemis program will spur the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs, boost innovation, and be a source of national pride for years to come.”
The groundbreaking Artemis II mission will also involve the first woman and first person of color traveling on a lunar voyage.
Between 1968 and 1972, 24 American astronauts traveled to the moon as part of NASA’s Apollo program, and 12 of them walked on its surface. Up to now, no Russian, Chinese, European, or other non-American astronaut has flown on any crewed mission to the moon, making Artemis II a very special one for Canada and its people.