NASA’s Artemis missions are set to bring humanity back to the Moon as soon as 2025 with Artemis 3. However, the mission planned before Artemis 3 is Artemis 2. The goal of Artemis 2 is to send a manned spacecraft into a lunar flyby. Like most monumental missions Artemis 2 needs a crew. On April 3rd, Artemis 2 was given one.

The Commander. Reid Wiseman was announced as the commander of Artemis 2. Wiseman served as the Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for 165 days. He has a history of fostering a social media presence throughout his missions and has served as the Chief of the Astronaut Office.

The Pilot. Victor Glover will serve as the pilot of the Artemis 2 mission. Victor has experience in space serving on the International Space Station for a combined 165 days during Expeditions 64 and 65. Most recently he served as the pilot for Space-X’s Resilience. If successful Victor will be the first person of color to leave low earth orbit.

The Mission Specialists. Christina Hammock Koch and Jeremy Hansen have been selected as the Mission Specialists for this mission. Christina is the most experienced of the astronauts having served a total of 328 days on the International Space Station during Expeditions 59, 60, and 61. She currently holds the record for the longest single space mission by a woman. For Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian, this is his first visit to space. He previously served as a fighter pilot for the Canadian Air Force. He will be the first non-American to leave low earth orbit.

Even though Artemis Two will not land on the Moon itself, it will help pave the way for the rest of the Artemis missions to land. Artemis Two will be monumental and signifies the beginning of sending humanity back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.