NASA tapped astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover for a group of 4 folks to trip across the moon on the Artemis II crewed mission subsequent 12 months.

The pair might be joined by Canadian Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman on the flight, the house company stated Monday at an occasion in Houston. Wiseman, the previous chief of the astronaut workplace, might be Artemis II’s commander.

Koch, who was beforehand a part of NASA’s all-women spacewalk, would be the first girl to go to deep house. Glover, the ship’s pilot, would be the first particular person of shade.

The announcement brings NASA a step nearer to a mission that can return people to the neighborhood of the moon for the primary time because the Apollo program roughly 5 a long time in the past. Through Artemis, NASA plans to land the primary girl, the primary particular person of shade and the primary astronaut from one other nation on the moon.

Artemis II, which can carry out a lunar flyby, is scheduled for subsequent 12 months. That might be adopted by Artemis III, touchdown astronauts on the moon’s floor, at present scheduled for 2025.