Four Astronauts Head to Moon in First Trip Since 1972

After 53 years, four astronauts are about to make history by venturing closer to the Moon than any human since the Apollo era.

NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will launch Thursday morning aboard the towering Space Launch System rocket. Their 10-day journey represents humanity's boldest step toward returning to the lunar surface.

Wiseman, a 50-year-old widower and Navy veteran, calls solo parenting his biggest challenge, not commanding a Moon mission. His teenage daughters initially had "zero interest" in him launching again, but surprised him the next day with homemade moon cupcakes and their full support.

Glover will become the first Black person to travel to deep space. The father of four describes the mission as deeply personal, representing "what's possible when you build something bigger than yourself."

Koch is set to become the first woman to venture to the Moon. She already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days and performed NASA's first all-female spacewalk.

Hansen makes history as the first non-NASA astronaut on a lunar mission and the only crew member making his spaceflight debut. The Canadian fighter pilot is packing maple syrup and maple cookies alongside four moon pendants he gave his wife and children.

Each astronaut has been remarkably open with their families about the risks. Wiseman walked his daughters through where to find important documents "if anything happens." Hansen assured his college-aged son and twin daughters that "the most likely outcome is that we will come back safe."

Why This Inspires

These four explorers represent more than technological achievement. They're showing their children and the world that historic opportunities require bold choices and honest conversations about risk.

Their mission will travel farther than any humans since Apollo 13, potentially breaking the distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth. While this flight won't land on the Moon, it paves the way for future lunar landings.

Koch beautifully captured the moment's significance: it's about "celebrating the fact that we've arrived to this place in history" where women and people of color can reach for the Moon alongside their colleagues.

Four people are about to show us that the impossible is just the next frontier waiting to be explored.