NASA To Unveil Astronauts To Lead Artemis II Moon Flyby Mission

NASA officials are set to reveal the names of four astronauts who will be a part of the Artemis II mission for a flyby of the moon
The mission will be the first attempt to travel around Earth's satellite since Apollo 17 in 1972
Artemis II will set up Artemis III, which would have astronauts walking on the lunar surface

NASA officials are set to unveil the names of four astronauts who will lead the Artemis II moon flyby mission to its fruition, the first attempt since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The mission will last ten days, scheduled to begin by the end of 2024 when the astronauts travel around the moon before returning to our planet. The yet-to-be-announced crew will join the pantheon of American astronauts who have visited Earth's satellite from 1968 to 1972 during the era of the Apollo.

NASA's Crew Members for Artemis II Mission

The announcement, which is scheduled for Monday, will begin at around 11:00 a.m. Eastern time and will be streamed live on NASA TV and the space company's YouTube channel. The event will be held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and is seen as a global occasion, per the New York Times.

The last time that NASA astronauts departed from the moon was in December 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission was completed. Since then, returning to the planet's satellite has been in talks several times.

The previous Trump administration also focused on an initiative later known as the Artemis program. The Biden administration is continuing the endeavor since taking over the White House.

The space company launched the Artemis I mission in November last year, which was a test of the massive Space Launch System rocket and the uncrewed Orion capsule. That event set up Artemis II, the first of NASA's new missions to the moon that would include a crew of astronauts.

Traveling to and Around the Moon

The Artemis II mission is also meant to pave the way for the Artemis III crew to be able to walk on the moon in 2025. According to CNN, these missions will utilize the world's most powerful rocket with a hefty price tag of nearly $100 billion.

After several months of closed-door decision-making, NASA officials finally plan to reveal the astronauts who will become crew members for the latest mission. While authorities have remained relatively tight-lipped about the selection process, there were interviews with roughly a dozen current and former NASA officials and astronauts who chimed in on the situation.

Previous reports claim that 47-year-old Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, is at the top of the list. He also served as chief of the astronaut office until November 2022. NASA astronaut Garrett argued that while the chief is now allowed to fly while in the post, an "acknowledged perk" is getting the best flight assignments after stepping down.

On the other hand, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to speak at the space company's unveiling of Artemis II crew members on Monday. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will hold the event together, said Click2Houston.