{"id":709657,"date":"2026-06-17T14:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/709657\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:40:18","slug":"astronaut-victor-glover-reflects-on-artemis-ii-cal-poly-slo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/709657\/","title":{"rendered":"Astronaut Victor Glover reflects on Artemis II, Cal Poly SLO"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NASA<\/p>\n

NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, returned to San Luis Obispo to speak at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026.<\/p>\n

David Middlecamp<\/p>\n

dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com<\/p>\n

After successfully going farther into space than humans had ever gone before, Cal Poly alumnus and NASA astronaut Victor Glover isn\u2019t touting the glory of his record-breaking off-world adventure or chasing the next historic mission \u2014 he\u2019s more focused on the wonder and inspiration he derives from his own planet.<\/p>\n

Glover visited his alma mater on Monday night, sporting his cobalt NASA jumpsuit as he addressed a packed crowd at the San Luis Obispo university\u2019s Performing Arts Center. People of all ages littered the crowd, from faculty and alumni who knew Glover as a student to current Mustangs and recent graduates hoping to follow in his footsteps and young children craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what their future could look like.<\/p>\n

The visit came a little over two months after Glover splashed down off the coast<\/a> of San Diego after a historic lunar fly-by mission<\/a> alongside fellow NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The four made up the crew of the 10-day Artemis II mission.<\/p>\n

Glover\u2019s appearance was also a uniquely local timing \u2014 he was already in town to help his daughters move out of Cal Poly housing for the summer.<\/p>\n

\"NASA NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, speaks at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the whole reason all of this is happening,\u201d Glover told a group of reporters during a news conference ahead of Monday\u2019s presentation. \u201cI was here this weekend for Mustang move-out and, you know, when I told Cal Poly I was going to be here anyway, all of this happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glover\u2019s daughters and wife Dionna were in the crowd Monday night, watching proudly from their balcony seats as Glover recounted his journey from Cal Poly to the Navy to NASA \u2014 but they weren\u2019t the only ones with a personal reason for attending the event.<\/p>\n

A handful of Glover\u2019s Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brothers were sat in the first few rows in the auditorium \u2014 some of whom traveled from around the state to see their friend and former classmate. The event just happened to be scheduled on the eve of the historically Black fraternity\u2019s 42nd anniversary at Cal Poly, international fraternal archivist Phil Eugenio told The Tribune.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just here to support Victor,\u201d Eugenio said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since some of us have seen him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phi Beta Sigma alum Robert Megna was proud to be in the audience supporting his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know this guy, you know?\u201d he told The Tribune ahead of the event. \u201cSo, it\u2019s very special for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Members Members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity applaud fellow member and NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026. They are, from left, Anthony Benning, Robert Megna and Leigh Cole. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com From Cal Poly to the Navy to NASA<\/p>\n

Glover is a 1999 engineering graduate of Cal Poly. During his time at the San Luis Obispo campus, he was a wrestler, a football player, a resident adviser and a fraternity member.<\/p>\n

Cal Poly is also where Glover met his wife, Dionna.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no idea how much I love this place,\u201d he told the sold-out auditorium Monday night.<\/p>\n

A key moment in his time at Cal Poly occurred during a fluid mechanics course \u2014 which he initially failed. During his second go, Glover recalled attending office hours with Dr. Jim LoCascio, when he received a piece of advice that altered his trajectory.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018You know, you\u2019re not here at Cal Poly to get training to get a job, you\u2019re here to learn to think,\u2019\u201d Glover recalled Monday night.<\/p>\n

He described that moment as a \u201crudder steer\u201d in his path toward becoming a critical thinker and lifelong learner.<\/p>\n

While still at Cal Poly, Glover enlisted in the Navy, where he eventually learned to pilot aircraft and earned his wings.<\/p>\n

\"Cal Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong introduces NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com <\/p>\n

Glover said he originally intended on becoming a Navy SEAL, but a moment he shared with his father once again helped shape his future into what it is today.<\/p>\n

As a retired police officer, Glover recalled that his father believed the Navy SEAL training wasn\u2019t the right fit for his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think with an engineering degree from Cal Poly, and wings, you go fly \u2014 you might mess around and become an astronaut,\u201d Glover recalled his father telling him in 1997, segueing into a humorous piece of advice for the children in the crowd: \u201cKids, message, listen to your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a graduate degree and an international career in the Navy, Glover returned stateside to serve as a legislative fellow for late U.S. Sen. John McCain, who helped Glover set up a meeting with one of his personal heroes: the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of them passed away before I launched on my first mission,\u201d Glover said during his appearance Monday. \u201cI invited them both, and they both would have been there, and they both passed away prior. So, this \u2014 I will, I will never take this slide out of my talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was while he was working in McCain\u2019s office that Glover first received the offer from NASA to train to become an astronaut, which he started in 2013 and completed in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we graduated, we became ambassadors of NASA\u2019s mission,\u201d Glover said. \u201cWhat do we do? We explore the unknown in air and space. We innovate for the benefit of humanity. And we inspire the world through discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

To this day, Glover maintains that wrestling at Cal Poly was one of the hardest things he has ever intentionally done \u2014 second only to an hours-long space walk he conducted at the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

\"Cal Cal Poly aerospace engineering professor Kira Abercromby hosts a Q&A session with NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover on June 16, 2026, at the Performing Arts Center. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Space exploration isn\u2019t just about space: \u2018You instantly love Earth\u2019<\/p>\n

The theme of humanity was a tether for Glover throughout Monday\u2019s speech as he focused on how his off-Earth trips have helped forge a contagious appreciation for Earth and its occupants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably why all of us are fascinated by space,\u201d he told the crowd Monday. \u201cBecause you look up into the nothing, and you instantly love Earth, and you love Earthlings.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the mission, Glover and other members of the Artemis crew were heralded for their profoundness and teamwork as they experienced a series of firsts for humanity, traveling 252,756 miles away from Earth for the very first time, witnessing an in-space solar eclipse and capturing rarely seen angles of the moon.<\/p>\n

Glover reflected on the work the team did with counselors and psychologists before embarking on the trip to ensure they could work in tandem in an inevitably inescapable environment. He encouraged any student hoping to pursue science or engineering fields to zero in on their communication skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting a team to perform at their optimum \u2014 that is something that the humans had to decide, and our crew, we did that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Space travel is not only about exploring what lies beyond the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, Glover said, but is also about finding new ways to support the home planet. He highlighted scientific breakthroughs that have originated within NASA or other space-related organizations, with implications ranging from helping health conditions like osteoporosis to the miniaturization of technology.<\/p>\n

\"NASA NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, returned to San Luis Obispo to speak at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com <\/p>\n

Science aside, Glover added that the inspiration people can derive from watching or participating in space travel can be a powerful tool for change.<\/p>\n

\u201cInspiration drives decision-making,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re inspired, you will do something differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

He highlighted the first Earthrise photo taken by the crew of Apollo 8 \u2014 saying that the first Earth Day occurred just 14 months after that photo was taken. Now, with modern technologies, Glover hopes the future will take the inspiration even further to induce positive change here on Earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just scratching the surface,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can do a whole lot more. I hope Artemis II started that discussion, and we just now got to keep it going.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Victor Glover?<\/p>\n

During Monday\u2019s news conference, The Tribune asked Glover what the future of space travel looks like for him, and whether he plans to step foot on the moon or venture further into space.<\/p>\n

The timing of missions and NASA\u2019s readiness for space flight is always changing \u2014 and Glover said he isn\u2019t currently assignable, and plans to use this time to take vacations with his family.<\/p>\n

Regardless, he believes the future is bright, highlighting the recently announced crew for Artemis III, which is slated to conduct test flights in Earth\u2019s orbit in 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re asking me like what I want to do, I don\u2019t know yet,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to all wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NASA NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon in April 2026, returned to San Luis Obispo to speak at the Performing Arts Center on June 16, 2026. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
\n Related Stories from San Luis Obispo Tribune<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Sadie Dittenber<\/a><\/p>\n

The Tribune<\/p>\n

Sadie Dittenber writes about education for The Tribune and is a California Local News Fellow through the UC Berkeley School of Journalism. Dittenber graduated from The College of Idaho with a degree in international political economy.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NASA astronaut and Cal Poly graduate Victor J. Glover, who piloted NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission to the moon…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":709658,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[79,193],"class_list":["post-709657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/709658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}