Top eight contenders for NASA's 2024 Artemis II mission that will see rocket ... trends now
In contention to board NASA's Artemis II mission, which will blast off next year, are eight of the most buzzed about astronauts in the field today.
Four will be chosen to form a diverse crew - comprising three Americans and one Canadian - that will spend 10 days orbiting the moon, and flying farther into space than any humans since the Apollo program last century.
First among the contenders is Reid Wiseman, NASA's former chief astronaut.
The 47-year-old decorate naval aviator and test pilot, who became a NASA astronaut in 2009, stepped down as chief of the astronaut office late last year, potentially in preparation for being selected as part of the Artemis II mission.
From top left to bottom right: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Anne McLain, Jessica Meir, Stephanie Wilson, and Randy Bresnik
Reid Wiseman, until late last year, was NASA's chief astronaut. A prestigious position but one that bars an astronaut from manning a mission. His departure from that role is a strong indicator that he may be a top contender for the Artemis II mission
One big indicator that Wiseman is eyeing the Artemis gig is that chief astronaut, though a prestigious job, is not one from which a NASA astronaut is eligible to fly into space. And NASA insiders say the job is a great title, but lousy reality and typically, one perk of agreeing to do it is having the opportunity to assign oneself the best mission when departing the office.
Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut told CNN, 'Historically, the one benefit of being chief is that, when you did step down, you gave yourself the best flight assignment available at the time. That was kind of an acknowledged perk.'
'You did this horrible job on our behalf. Thank you for doing that. Here’s your reward. You get to put yourself in the best seat around,' he added.
Beyond Wiseman, a white man, NASA has emphasized the importance of diversity in its Artemis program.
Of the 41 astronauts eligible to be chosen for the mission, about one-third are women, and 12 are individuals of color.
If Wiseman is chosen for Artemis II, it is likely that at least two of the other spots on the spacecraft will go to a woman and a person of color.
Some of the other astronauts in the running to orbit the moon are Anne McLain and Stephanie Wilson, respectively aged 43 and 56.
McLain is a decorated army pilot and West Point graduate who flew hundreds of missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and went on to graduate from the US Naval Test Pilot School in 2013, when she was chosen to become a NASA astronaut.
She previously spent more than 200 days in space on the International Space Station and had led at least two spacewalks.
Artemis I rocket on its launchpad. The uncrewed Artemis I Orion rocket completed a 25-day mission in late 2022
Stephanie Wilson, 56, has been a NASA mission specialist for more than a quarter of a century
Jessica Meir, 45, is a biologist who was selected as a mission specialist in NASA's 2013 astronaut class after stints at more remote scientific bases in polar regions
Stephanie Wilson was selected to become an astronaut in 1996. She is the most senior astronaut on the list and has served as a mission specialist on three Space Shuttle flights, including the one immediately following the fatal Columbia flight in 2003.
Victor Glover is a 46-year-old naval aviator who piloted the second crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and spent close to half a year aboard the International Space Station. He has completed four spacewalks in his career.
Randy
