{"id":1886280,"date":"2026-04-16T20:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1886280"},"modified":"2026-04-16T20:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:40:12","slug":"artemis-astronaut-nasas-future-moon-crew-likely-will-be-diverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1886280","title":{"rendered":"Artemis astronaut: NASA’s future moon crew likely will be diverse"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/01wjj4pJVICIATreIlg9zjY\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1776355716.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Home<\/a>><\/span>Science<\/a>><\/span>Space<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Artemis II crew largely sidesteps diversity question about future moon-landing astronauts<\/h1>\n
The space agency’s commitment to a diverse lunar landing has become unclear.<\/div>\n
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\n \u00a0By\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elisha Sauers<\/a><\/p>\n
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\"Mashable<\/p>\n
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Elisha Sauers<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA’s moon and Mars missions<\/a>, chatting up astronauts<\/a> and history-making discoverers<\/a>, and jetting above the clouds<\/a>. Through 17 years of reporting, she’s covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot<\/em> in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital<\/em> in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association’s top honor, Best in Show<\/u><\/a>,\u00a0and national recognition<\/u><\/a> for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards<\/u><\/a>, including first place for her Sex in Space<\/a> series. Send space tips and story ideas to [email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/u><\/a> or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers<\/u><\/a>.\n <\/div>\n

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\"Artemis<\/p>\n
Artemis II crewmates Victor Glover, left, and Christina Koch became the first Black person and woman to leave low-Earth orbit during their historic spaceflight, which returned on April 10, 2026.<\/span>Credit: NASA \/ Bill Ingalls<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Astronauts from NASA<\/u><\/a>‘s first crewed Artemis flight largely sidestepped a question about the diversity of the future astronauts assigned to the upcoming moon-landing mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking at a news conference days after their return to Earth<\/u><\/a>, the Artemis II<\/u><\/a> astronauts \u2014\u00a0 Commander Reid Wiseman<\/u><\/a>, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen \u2014 were asked whether the U.S. space<\/a> agency should uphold its pledge to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon<\/u><\/a>, a goal NASA has recently deemphasized.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The moment highlighted an issue NASA has avoided publicly clarifying<\/a>. The Artemis program<\/a>‘s first landing mission is expected as early as 2028<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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“That’s a great question,” Koch told Mashable. “Our understanding of that statement was basically that the Artemis campaign as a whole will usher in an era where that is true, and that it will happen naturally because of our astronaut corps.”<\/p>\n

Though Mashable sought each astronaut’s opinion, only Koch answered before the moderator moved on to another reporter’s question.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO:<\/span>A girl asks for Pluto to regain its planet status. NASA chief: We’re looking into it.<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

Before 2025, NASA had consistently described the first Artemis lunar landing as putting the first woman and first person of color on the moon. But over the past year, that language has largely disappeared from agency materials, following a White House executive order<\/u><\/a> that curtailed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal agencies. The directive labeled such programs “illegal and immoral.”<\/p>\n

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The Artemis II crew itself marked a milestone. The mission was the first deep-space flight not composed entirely of white men. Koch became the first woman and Glover the first Black person to travel beyond low-Earth orbit. Their assignment to the lunar flyby crew<\/u><\/a> occurred in 2023, during President Joe Biden’s administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Artemis II crew, clockwise: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman.<\/span>Credit: Josh Valcarcel<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Both have downplayed the historical significance of their distinctions in past interviews, focusing instead on the technical goals of the mission. Leading up to the launch, they often wouldn’t elaborate on what those “firsts” meant specifically for women and people of color. <\/p>\n

On Thursday, however, Koch seemed confident the milestone will happen, regardless of intention.<\/p>\n

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