Artemis 2: First Black, Woman, Canadian to Moon

0:00Four astronauts are gearing up for NASA's Artemis II mission, blasting off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 1st, at 4 p.m. 24 p.m. mountain time, or 5 p.m. Central time. They'll ride the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day trip around the moon and back, no landing, just testing systems and running science experiments to prep, for future human flights. The crew features Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, who earned his wings in Kingsville, Texas, back on December 14th, 2000. One-plus mission specialist, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. Glover's a California guy with family ties in the Dallas-4-Worth area, and this squad's breaking barriers left and right. Glover becomes the first black man flying near the moon. Koch, the first woman, and Hansen, the first Canadian, picking up where Apollo 17 left. Often 1972, folks are buzzing about these milestones, especially with Glover's lone-star routes shining through after his Texas training days.

1:00This flights all about laying groundwork, no moon boots on the surface yet, but it's key for Artemis III in 2027 and a lunar base. Down the line, maybe even Mars next. NASA says the crew will loop the moon for several days, linking up with ground teams on vital tests. Eyes on the sky, y'all. This launch reignites that space fire, pushing us closer to boots back on lunar soil and beyond. You've been listening to El Paso News today, AI-powered local news.