The four astronauts chosen for the mission are Brian Cho, a NASA astronaut with experience as a flight test engineer; Christina Hammock Koch, who has already completed a spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) and performed the first all-woman spacewalk in history; Kjell Lindgren, another NASA astronaut and medical doctor; and Soichi Noguchi, a JAXA astronaut from Japan with experience on both the ISS and the Space Shuttle.
The astronauts were chosen for their experience in spaceflight, their expertise in various scientific fields, and their ability to work well in a team. According to NASA, they were also selected for their dedication to the Artemis program and their enthusiasm for exploring the Moon.
During the announcement, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his excitement for the Artemis II mission and the future of lunar exploration. “This mission is a critical step towards our goal of a sustainable human presence on the Moon,” he said. “It represents the culmination of years of hard work by NASA and our international partners, and I am confident that these four astronauts will do an outstanding job.”
