BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA officials held a special event Monday to reveal the four astronauts it plans to send on a mission around the moon and back.
The Artemis II mission will mark the first time in more than 50 years humans will return to lunar orbit.
Video: NASA’s Artemis I rocket begins journey to moon after launching from Florida’s Space Coast NASA and others around the world are celebrating another historic moment on Florida’s Space Coast. (James Tutten, WFTV.com/WFTV)
Artemis II is aiming to launch from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as November of next year.
The mission will also set the stage for NASA’s next moon landing.
Watch: NASA shares results of Artemis mission review in preparation for next crewed flight around the moon
The Artemis II crew will consist of three NASA astronauts and a Canadian astronaut.
NASA reveals astronauts who will fly around moon for Artemis II mission
Nasa astronaut Christina Hammond Kock was the first to be named to take part in the Artemis II mission.
Kock will serve as a mission specialist on the historic flight.
Watch: To boldly go: NASA reveals new spacesuits for planned Moon landing mission
She will be joined by fellow NASA astronaut Victor Glover who will serve as the pilot of NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
Carina Nebula This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. Southern Ring Nebula This side-by-side comparison shows observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light, at left, and mid-infrared light, at right, from NASA’s Webb Telescope. (Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach/NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and The E) Stephan's Quintet Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, is best known for being prominently featured in the holiday classic film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” SMACS 0723 NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail. (Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach/NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO ) WASP-96 b NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the distinct signature of water, along with evidence for clouds and haze, in the atmosphere surrounding a hot, puffy gas giant planet orbiting a distant Sun-like star. Stephan's Quintet This image provided by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows Stephan's Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies captured by the Webb Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach/AP) Carina Nebula This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, combined the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope's two cameras to create a never-before-seen view of a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), this combined image reveals previously invisible areas of star birth. (Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach/AP) James Webb Space Telescope FILE - In this image provided by NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope is released into space from an Ariane rocket on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus. (AP) James Webb Space Telescope FILE - This 2015 artist's rendering provided by Northrop Grumman via NASA shows the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus. (AP) James Webb Space Telescope FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 photo released by the European Space Agency, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus. (Stephane Corvaja/AP) James Webb Space Telescope FILE - In this April 13, 2017 photo provided by NASA, technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus. (Laura Betz/AP) NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman was picked to serve as commander of Artemis II.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen was also selected as a mission specialist for the 10-day space voyage.
Watch: NASA collects data from mannequins to study impact of solar radiation on future astronauts
Artemis II will test NASA’s human deep space exploration capabilities and help meet the goal of a future journey to Mars.
See more in the video above.
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