On April 3, NASA unveiled the identities of four astronauts slated to make history as the first lunar visitors in over five decades, marking a significant departure from the era of Apollo missions that exclusively featured white male astronauts. Among these trailblazers is the ‘First Black American to fly to the Moon’, Victor Glover. This mission marks a milestone by including the first female astronaut and the first African American astronaut to journey into lunar orbit.
Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch will make history as the first woman to set foot on the Moon, while Victor Glover will break barriers as the first black astronaut to orbit the Moon. They will be joined on this lunar mission by astronaut Jeremy Hansen and commander Reid Wiseman.
The Artemis II crew was introduced to an enthusiastic crowd, comprising members of the media, space industry officials, and elementary school children, at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston. The atmosphere resembled that of a spirited pep rally.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, speaking from the stage, remarked, “This crew serves as a symbol of the countless individuals who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of space exploration; they are the ambassadors of humanity on this remarkable mission.”
Here they are. @SenBillNelson announces the #Artemis II crew, the next astronauts to fly around the Moon:@Astro_Christina@Astro_Jeremy@AstroVicGlover@Astro_Reid
— NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2023
We go together. https://t.co/XdUizg2Wye pic.twitter.com/6Yo4I2lKeJ
What exactly is Victor Glover?
Victor Glover hails from Pomona, California, and is married to Dionna Odom, a resident of Berkeley, California. Together, they have four children. His father and stepmother reside in Prosper, Texas, while his mother is based in southern California.
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In 1994, Victor Glover graduated from Ontario High School in Ontario, California. He continued his academic journey and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, in 1999. Subsequently, as part of the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS) program, he achieved a Master of Science degree in Flight Test Engineering from the Air University at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 2007. Glover also pursued a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2009 as part of the PD21 program. In 2010, he expanded his academic achievements by earning a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from the Air University in Montgomery, Alabama.
Victor J. Glover, Jr. was chosen as an astronaut in 2013 while concurrently serving as a Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate. His most recent space mission saw him as the pilot and second-in-command aboard the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon named Resilience, which safely landed on May 2, 2021. This mission marked the first post-certification flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and its second crewed flight. Glover also served as a Flight Engineer on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 64. He has been appointed as the Pilot for NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission.