The Artemis II crew, led by Commander Reid Wiseman with Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will transition to roles supporting Canada’s contributions to NASA as they prepare for a lunar loop.

Artemis II consists of three NASA astronauts—Wiseman, Koch, and Glover—with Hansen joining the crew for the lunar fly-around, marking a continued international collaboration.

The Artemis program envisions a long-term lunar presence, including a Moon Base at the south pole, with NASA and the crew outlining aspirational milestones for ongoing exploration.

The story notes ongoing institutional and international collaboration in Artemis and acknowledges support from the AP Health and Science desk.

Three months after completing the lunar fly-around, the Artemis II astronauts reunited with their spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center, reflecting on a historic journey that extended farther from Earth than any previous crewed mission.

The mission set a new distance record for a lunar fly-around, traveling 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth—the farthest humans have gone on a lunar-side mission.

During the voyage, the four astronauts sustained a record for distance around the Moon, achieving a 252,756-mile (406,771-kilometer) journey—the farthest humans have traveled from Earth on such a mission.

Christina Koch, the first woman to fly to the Moon, addressed questions about Artemis III’s crew composition, reaffirming commitment to the selection process and rejecting changes driven by gender expectations.

Koch emphasized that an all-male Artemis III crew is not a problem and that NASA’s selections are not about appearances, with her Artemis II participation signaling ongoing gender progress.

Even as Artemis III was announced, Artemis II underscored ongoing momentum toward future missions, with Artemis III planned for next year to test lunar landers in Earth orbit and with demonstrations by SpaceX and Blue Origin leading toward Artemis IV and a possible 2028 lunar landing.

Artemis III is slated to launch soon to test lunar landers in low Earth orbit, featuring Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano, and Mission Specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, aiming to push toward a 2028 lunar landing and broader lunar presence.

Artemis III’s timeline depends on SLS flight readiness and the development of lunar landers by Blue Origin and SpaceX, with a focus on accelerating frequent SLS launches for future deep-space missions.