Hey, Space Placers!
This video captures the mood and moment of today's announcement of the crew of Artemis II !
Today’s announcement by NASA and its Administrator Bill Nelson of the four crew members of the moon-bound Artemis II mission https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-names-astronauts-to-next-moon-mission-first-crew-under-artemis had all the trappings one would expect for such a momentous and historic event. The astronaut corps - less the two currently on the International Space Station (ISS) https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html , a signature blue and white NASA T-38 jet trainer used by the astronauts https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/t38flyout.html , a press-media-NASA audience and a very impressive array of backdrop pictures with inspirational music set the impressive scene.
The event reminded me of the famous scene in the 1983 Academy Award winning movie, “The Right Stuff” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086197/ , when the seven Mercury astronauts are introduced to the world https://www.nasa.gov/feature/60-years-ago-nasa-introduces-mercury-7-astronauts but with a 21st Century update as to visuals, sound and a much larger gender and racially mixed Astronaut Corps.
This will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17, which did so in December 1972 https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo17.html .
The crew consisting of pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialists Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) and Christina Koch, were introduced one by one with Koch going first. Each came up to the stage with robust vocal approval from their peers and the audience.
Koch will be the first woman, and Glover the first African American, assigned to a moon bound mission. NASA has said that the first woman and person of color will set foot on the moon when Artemis III lands at the lunar South Pole https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis-iii . Artemis III is tentatively scheduled for 2025.
The Artemis II crew also has a direct connection to the DMV as Wiseman is a Baltimore native with extensive ties to the city and Maryland https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/g-reid-wiseman/biography .
I am proud to say that the tradition of Naval Aviators going to the moon https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/navyastros.html continues as Wiseman and Glover are U.S. Navy Captains. Naval Aviators commanded Apollo 7, 11,12,13, 14, 16 and 17. With Wiseman commanding Artemis II the Naval Aviation-moon mission connection continues.
See this very cool, and to me, goose-bumps level inspirational video about the Artemis III crew https://youtu.be/lPyl6d2FJGw .
Artemis II is currently scheduled for launch November 2024.
LIGHT THAT CANDLE!!!!
Sky Guy in VA
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