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Baltimore native Gregory Reid Wiseman will be taking his second foray into space as he has been chosen to venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on “NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the moon for science and exploration.”
Commander Wiseman will be joined on the scheduled 10-day flight by pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen in what NASA is calling “humanity’s crew.”
“The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “(These) NASA astronauts each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one.
“Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation.”
During the mission, Artemis II will prove the spacecraft’s life-support systems and validate the capabilities and techniques “for humans to live and work in deep space,” officials said. They will not be landing on the surface, but sets up plans for a two-man crew to do so next year.
It comes on the heels of Artemis I, which was unmanned, and began to pave the way for “long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars.”
NASA Director Vanessa Wyche said that “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, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all.”
Wiseman, who graduated with a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, is no stranger to the depths of space, having previously served aboard the International Station for Expedition 41 from May through November 2014.
He graduated from Dulaney High School in Timonium in 1993 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He also previously trained in Oceana, Virginia as a Naval pilot who was twice deployed in the Middle East before he ran up the ranks at NASA.
According to NASA, he has logged more than five months in space, including almost 13 hours as a lead spacewalker during two trips to the outside of the complex. He also served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 through November 2022.
“I could not be prouder that these brave four will kickstart our journeys to the Moon and beyond,” Director of Flight Operations Norm Knight said. “They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a mix of highly capable and accomplished individuals with the skills and determination to take on any trial as a team.
“The Artemis II mission will be challenging, and we’ll test our limits as we prepare to put future astronauts on the Moon,” he continued. “With Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy at the controls, I have no doubt we’re ready to face every challenge that comes our way.”
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