First crewed Moon mission in over 50 years: Artemis II set for April 1 launch

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is all set to launch Artemis II on April 1. This will be the first crewed Artemis flight.

NASA says Armetis II builds on the success of the un-crewed Artemis I in 2022. It will demonstrate "broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions."

The Armetis II test flight will be first ever mission with crew on board the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orian spacecraft.

There will be four astronauts going on the mission of 10 days, and will be first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years.

Here is all you need to know about the crew:

Reid Wiseman, Commander:

Reid Wiseman is the commander in Artemis II mission. He was selected as NASA astronaut in 2009. Previously, he commanded the NEEMO21 mission in 2016.

Victor Glover, Pilot:

Victor Glover has previously served as the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station IN 2020. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013.

Christina Koch, Mission Specialist:

Christina Koch will be the Mission Specialist in Artemis II mission. She was selected as the NASA astronaut in 2013. She has served a a flight engineer onboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 59, 60, and 61. Koch has set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space.

Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist:

Jeremy Hansen has a background as a fighter pilot. He became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class.