Apr 3, 2023 - News

North Carolina astronaut lands NASA moon mission

Left to right: NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Photo: NASA

N.C. State University alum Christina Hammock Koch will be one of the first astronauts to launch on a journey toward the Moon in decades, NASA announced Monday.

Koch will join Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the mission.

Koch, who became an astronaut in 2013, grew up in Jacksonville, attended the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham and then went on to N.C. State.

Why it matters: The four crewmembers were named as part of the Artemis II mission around the Moon. They are set to launch next year, paving the way for a future mission to land a yet-to-be-announced crew on the Moon in 2025.

What's happening: The crew won't land on the Moon for this mission, but they will fly by the natural satellite, testing out many of the systems necessary for future missions before coming back to Earth.

Go deeper: NASA names crew for mission to fly by Moon in 2024

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North Carolina astronaut lands NASA moon mission

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