List of Artemis astronauts

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The crew of Artemis II in 2026 were the first to fly around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Clockwise from left: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman Artemis 2 Crew Portrait.jpg
The crew of Artemis II in 2026 were the first to fly around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Clockwise from left: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman

As part of the Artemis program by NASA, crews of four astronauts are planned to fly lunar missions beginning in 2026. The Artemis II flyby of the Moon included the first four astronauts to fly beyond Earth orbit since the Apollo program, becoming the 25th through 28th humans to do so. The Artemis II crew included the first woman (Christina Koch), person of color (Victor Glover), first non-United States citizen (Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency), and oldest person (Reid Wiseman, followed by Hansen and Glover as the second and third oldest) to reach deep space and the Moon's vicinity. [1] At a distance of 252,756 mi (406,771 km) beyond the Earth, Artemis II is currently the furthest crewed spaceflight. [2]

Contents

The Artemis III crew, who plan to fly in low Earth orbit in 2027, were revealed on 9 June 2026: Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas of NASA, and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency. [3] [4] Artemis IV is planned to land a two-person crew on the Moon in early 2028, becoming the first moonwalkers since the Apollo era and the 13th and 14th overall. [5] As of June 2026, the crew for Artemis IV (and all subsequent missions) is unannounced.

Full list

In December 2020, NASA announced the selection of 18 astronauts as part of an "Artemis Team" that would be considered for future Artemis missions to the Moon. [6] [a] By August 2022, Wiseman revealed that all active members of the NASA Astronaut Corps are eligible for Artemis flights. [7] [b] Majority of the Artemis astronauts (excluding Gibson, Hansen, and Douglas) had previous spaceflight experience as part of long-duration expeditions aboard the International Space Station.

Artemis astronauts by their dates of selection

2004

This group, nicknamed "The Peacocks", were the last astronaut group to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. Only one out of 11 astronauts from this group have been assigned into Artemis missions: [c]

2009

A total of 14 astronauts (including five from other countries) comprise "The Chumps", the first astronaut group selected for the post-Shuttle era. Only two of them so far have been assigned in Artemis flights, including the first non-American to fly around the Moon:

Additionally, the first European assigned to an Artemis flight was also selected separately by ESA on this year:

2013

This group, nicknamed "The 8 Balls", comprised the highest percentage of female finalists selected as astronauts. Of the 8 astronauts from this group, 2 have been selected for Artemis flights, including the first woman and first person of color to fly around the Moon:

2017

"The Turtles" make up a total of 12 astronauts that were selected by NASA in June 2017, including two from the Canadian Space Agency. As of June 2026, three astronauts from this group are assigned onto Artemis flights, either prime or backup crews:

2021

A total of 12 astronauts (including two from the United Arab Emirates) were selected in December 2021. Nicknamed "The Flies", so far only one has been assigned to Artemis flights:

Artemis astronauts who flew around the Moon

PortraitName and groupBornDiedAge at launchMissionAstronaut serviceNotes
1 Jsc2023e0016434 alt.jpg Reid Wiseman
(NASA Astronaut Group 20)		November 11, 1975 (age 50)50 Artemis II
April 1–10, 2026		US NavyNASA Chief of the Astronaut Office (2020–2022). [8] Previously flew as flight engineer on Soyuz TMA-13M as part of ISS Expedition 40/41. [9]
2 Jsc2023e0016433 alt.jpg Victor Glover

(NASA Astronaut Group 21)

April 30, 1976 (age 50)49US NavyFirst person of color to travel around the Moon. [10] Previously flew to the ISS on SpaceX Crew-1, the first operational mission of the Commercial Crew Program, as part of Expedition 64/65.
3 Jsc2023e0016435 alt.jpg Christina Koch
(NASA Astronaut Group 21)		January 29, 1979 (age 47)47NASAFirst female astronaut to fly around the Moon. Also the record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) during ISS Expedition 59/60/61. [11]
4 Jsc2023e0016436 alt2.jpg Jeremy Hansen
(NASA Astronaut Group 20)		January 27, 1976 (age 50)50Canadian Air ForceFirst non-American astronaut to fly around the Moon. [12]

Artemis astronauts who plan to fly into low Earth orbit

PortraitName and groupBornDiedAge at launchMissionAstronaut serviceNotes
1 Randy Bresnik Artemis III (portrait crop).jpg Randy Bresnik
(NASA Astronaut Group 19)		September 11, 1967 (age 59) Artemis III
NET June 2027		US MarinesPreviously a flight engineer and later commander for ISS Expedition 52/53. Only Artemis astronaut to fly on a Space Shuttle (STS-129). [13]
2 Luca Parmitano Artemis III (portrait crop).jpg Luca Parmitano
(2009 ESA Group)		September 27, 1976 (age 50)Italian Air ForcePreviously a flight engineer for ISS Expedition 36/37 and 60, later commander on ISS Expedition 61. [14]
3 Frank Rubio Artemis III (portrait crop).jpg Frank Rubio
(NASA Astronaut Group 22)		December 11, 1975 (age 50)US ArmyRecord holder of the longest spaceflight for an American astronaut (371 days) during ISS Expedition 67/68/69. [15]
4 Andre Douglas Artemis III (portrait crop).jpg Andre Douglas
(NASA Astronaut Group 23)		December 11, 1985 (age 40)US Coast GuardPreviously a backup crew member for Artemis II. [16]

Artemis astronauts yet to fly but assigned as backup crew

PortraitName and groupBornDiedMissionAstronaut serviceNotes
1 Jenni Sidey official portrait.jpg Jenni Gibbons
(NASA Astronaut Group 22)		August 3, 1988 (age 38) Artemis II Canadian Space Agency Backup crew member for Artemis II alongside Andre Douglas. [16] [17]
2 Bob Hines official portrait.jpg Bob Hines
(NASA Astronaut Group 22)		January 11, 1975 (age 51) Artemis III US Air ForceBackup crew member for Artemis III. Previously flew to the ISS on SpaceX Crew-4 as part of Expedition 67/68. [18]

Astronauts who were selected/trained for Artemis but did not fly

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The initial 18 astronauts selected were the following: Joe Acaba, Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Victor Glover, Woody Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Christina Koch, Kjell Lindgren, Nicole Aunapu Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir, Jasmin Moghbeli, Kathleen Rubins, Frank Rubio, Scott Tingle, Jessica Watkins, and Stephanie Wilson. As of June 2026, only Glover, Koch, and Rubio had been selected to fly on specific Artemis missions.
  2. ↑ As of October 2026, the number of active astronauts at the NASA Astronaut Corps is 31, consisting of 17 men and 14 women.
  3. ↑ Randy Bresnik is the only active astronaut of NASA Group 19 when he was selected as the commander of Artemis III in 9 June 2026.

References

  1. ↑ C. A. O'Shea (3 April 2023). "NASA Names Astronauts to Next Moon Mission, First Crew Under Artemis" (Press release). NASA. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. ↑ S. Clark (17 January 2026). "Managers on alert for "launch fever" as pressure builds for NASA's Moon mission". Ars Technica. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  3. ↑ J. M. Dooren (26 May 2026). "NASA to Announce Artemis III Crew, Provide Mission Progress Update" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  4. ↑ E. Shaw (9 June 2026). "NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027, Names Crew Members" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  5. ↑ C. Cameron (27 February 2026). "NASA scraps 2027 Artemis III moon landing in favor of 2028 mission". Scientific American. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  6. ↑ W. Harwood (9 December 2020). "NASA names 18 astronauts for Artemis moon missions". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  7. ↑ J. Foust (22 August 2022). "The time has finally come for Artemis 1". The Space Review. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  8. ↑ B. Dean; M. Sumner (17 December 2020). "NASA Names Astronaut Reid Wiseman New Chief of Astronaut Office" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  9. ↑ M. A. Garcia (9 November 2014). "Expedition 41 Departs from Station in Soyuz" (Blog). NASA . Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  10. ↑ J. Finch; S. Schierholz; K. Herring; et al. (16 November 2020). "NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts Headed to International Space Station" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  11. ↑ K. Northon (6 February 2020). "Record-Setting NASA Astronaut, Crewmates Return from Space Station" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  12. ↑ N. Mortillaro (3 April 2023). "'It is glorious,' says astronaut Jeremy Hansen, announced as 1st Canadian to orbit the moon". CBC News. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  13. ↑ G. Goulding; G. Divin (9 June 2026). "Who is Randy Bresnik? Meet the commander of NASA's Artemis III mission". Click2Houston. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Luca takes leading role for Europe in space". www.esa.int. European Space Agency. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  15. ↑ J. Wattles (13 September 2023). "Astronaut Frank Rubio sets US record for longest trip in space". CNN News. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  16. 1 2 T. P. Doyle (3 July 2024). "NASA Announces its Artemis II Backup Crew Member for Moon Mission" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Canadian Space Agency [@csa_asc] (22 November 2023). "Breaking news! @Astro_Jenni has been assigned as a CSA backup astronaut for #Artemis II. This secures a seat for Canada on the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, in the event that @Astro_Jeremy Hansen is unable to fly" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
  18. ↑ J. Valcarcel (1 March 2022). "SpaceX Crew-4 Pilot Robert Hines". www.nasa.gov. NASA . Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  19. ↑ J. Taveau (27 August 2026). "NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Departs Agency to Continue Military Service" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 17 October 2026.
  20. ↑ R. Scharfetter (29 July 2025). "NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins, First to Sequence DNA in Space, Retires" (Press release). NASA . Retrieved 17 October 2026.
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