What’s New With the Artemis II Crew
Four astronauts – NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen — will venture around the Moon during Artemis II, the first crewed test flight on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for exploration and scientific discovery. Read more about the crew’s training progress as they prepare for their lunar mission.
Commander
Reid Wiseman
Pilot
Victor Glover
Mission specialist
Christina Koch
Mission specialist
Jeremy Hansen
Artemis II Crew Training
Lesson on Apollo Moon Rocks
On May, 9 2023, Wiseman, Hansen, and Glover received a lesson on lunar rocks in the Apollo Lunar Sample Repository at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their training included learning about lunar fundamentals, as they will be the first humans to lay eyes on the far side of the Moon in more than 50 years.
Training for the Lunar Surface
In September 2023, Hansen and Koch sampled rocks during a field geology training expedition in northern Labrador, Canada. Geology training helps equip astronauts to decipher lunar geology via observations and photography while orbiting the Moon
Preparing for Splashdown
On July 12, 2023, crew members practiced the procedures they will use when the Orion spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean after the 10-day mission around the Moon. This training took place in Johnson's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, and served as a precursor to recovery testing that occurred in the Pacific Ocean in February 2024.
Space Food Taste Testing
On August 22, 2023, the astronauts visited the Space Food Systems Laboratory at Johnson where they tried various foods and picked the ones they will take with them on their mission. NASA produces heat-stabilized foods in pouches, similar to military Meals-Ready-to-Eat that are developed to support the nutritional needs of astronauts in space.
Preparing for Takeoff
On August 31, 2023, Hansen and Koch examined a T-38 aircraft before takeoff at Ellington Field in Houston. The T-38 can reach an altitude up to 50,000 feet where astronauts practice maneuvering an aircraft at high speeds to prepare them for spaceflight.
Picture Perfect Launch
On September 20, 2023, Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen stood in the white room on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test helped ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew's timeline on launch day.
Heading to the Launch Pad
On October 2, 2023, the Artemis II crew walked out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to the Artemis crew transportation vehicles prior to traveling to Launch Pad 39B. As part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy, the crew practiced the timeline for launch day.
Training for Mission Communications
On October 3, 2023, Wiseman and Hansen conduct communications-related training at Johnson Space Center. This training included lessons on audio operations inside the Orion spacecraft, such as how to use different equipment, different naming conventions, and practicing how to mitigate possible malfunctions.
Training for Emergency Scenarios
On October 8, 2023, the Artemis II crew trained for how to exit Orion in a potential emergency after splashdown, inside an Orion mockup at Johnson Space Center. This training helped prepare the crew situations they could face when they return to Earth at the end of their mission.
Wiseman and Glover Prepare for Splashdown
On December 18, 2023, Wiseman and Glover supported water survival training at Johnson Space Center. The crew underwent this training to practice operations they would need to perform after the Orion spacecraft splashes down in the ocean during potential abnormal scenarios such as an abort, or a landing where the recovery forces are not at the landing site.
Koch Trains for Splashdown
On December 18, 2023, Koch participated in water survival training at Johnson Space Center. The crew underwent this training to practice operations they would need to perform after the Orion spacecraft splashes down in the ocean during abnormal scenarios such as an abort, or a landing where the recovery forces are not at the landing site.
Training for Splashdown
On January 23, 2024, the Artemis II crew during Orion water survival demonstration and mastery suited training in the Neutral Buoyancy pool at Johnson. This training allowed the crew to practice exiting the spacecraft in a variety of scenarios in preparation for the mission around the Moon next year.
Getting Lunar Ready
On January 23, 2024, Artemis II astronauts during Orion water survival demonstration and mastery suited training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory pool. This training allowed the crew to practice exiting the spacecraft in a variety of scenarios in preparation for their mission around the Moon.
Practicing a Smooth Exit
On February 25, 2024, Crew members are assisted by U.S. Navy personnel as they exited a mockup of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean during recovery training.
Bird's Eye View
On February 25, 2024, U.S. Navy personnel assisted the Artemis II crew as they exited a mockup of the Orion spacecraft onto an inflatable “front porch” while NASA’s Exploration Ground System’s landing and recovery team and the Department of Defense aboard the USS San Diego practice recovery procedures using the Crew Module Test Article, during underway water recovery training off the coast of San Diego.
One Day Closer to the Moon
On May 2, 2024 the Artemis II crew successfully completed their "day in the life" training in an Orion mockup at Johnson. This training allowed the crew to walk through what a day would look like during their upcoming mission. The backwards hard-shell safety hats allowed them to capture photos with their cameras without their brim getting in the way.
