Nasa Unveils 1st Woman and 1st Black Astronauts for 1st Flight Around Moon in 50 Years

• Nasa is gearing up to send the first female and first black astronauts on a trip around the moon
• The pair form part of a four-person crew who will conduct a lunar fly-by as part of the Artemis II mission
• The Artemis missions aim to return astronauts to the moon and set up a lunar outpost in the next 10 years

HOUSTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) announced a host of firsts on Monday, 3 April.

The independent American space agency revealed that it would be sending the first female and first black American astronauts on a voyage around the moon.

The voyage will also be the first crewed lunar fly-by in more than 50 years, TimesLIVE reported.

Victor Glover and Christina Koch join Nasa's Arthemis II lunar mission

Victor Glover is the first black astronaut to be sent on a lunar mission. With his experience as a fighter pilot in the US Navy, Glover has been named the pilot for the Arthemis II lunar fly-by. The fly-by is expected to take place in 2024.

Read also

Durban restaurant announces closure following AKA's murder on its doorstep: "We have experienced a downturn"

The female astronaut, Christina Koch, was named a missions specialist for the lunar fly-by.

Koch also holds the record for the longest continuous space flight by a woman and she joined NASA's first three all-female spacewalks.

To complete the four-person crew, Glover and Koch will be joined by a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman, another former US Navy aviator.

Hansen was named a missions specialist, while Wiseman was named commander of the Artemis II mission.

Nasa unveils Artemis II crew in stirring video campaign

The space agency released an official video revealing the Artemis II mission's four-person crew.

Artemis Mission aims to return astronauts to the moon

The Artemis missions succeed the famous Appolo programme, which saw 12 astronauts walk on the moon during the cold-war era.

Read also

Jacaranda FM's Good Morning Angels initiative changes a flower seller's life with a brand-new car

Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon's surface in this decade and establish an outpost on the moon as a stepping stone to the future exploration of Mars.

Nasa's Artemis II mission generates mixed reactions

Below are some comments:

@howzthemarket celebrated:

"The Artemis II mission is a giant leap towards inspiring young minds to reach for the stars."

@karintkacz claimed:

"I think taking care of matters here on earth should be a priority, especially homelessness, the environment, etc."

@barryshafer praised:

"I love this!"

@pdxrosewig criticised:

"I feel this mission is unnecessary and very hypocritical. How much fossil fuel will be used for every stage?"

@Jara38930757 said:

"After 56 years and billions of dollars, we can finally, ALMOST recreate the Apollo 8 mission."

Nasa, Boeing aiming for July launch of Starliner space capsule

In another space exploration-related story, Briefly News reported that the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) will take place in July, Boeing and Nasa officials said Wednesday, 29 March.

Read also

NASA reveals crew for 2024 flight around Moon

The officials said the CST-100 Starliner mission, which had previously been planned for April, will take place no earlier than 21 July. Steve Stich, the manager of Nasa's Commercial Crew Program, told reporters:

"We've deliberated and decided that the best launch attempt is no earlier than 21 July for CFT."

Source: Briefly News