NASA astronaut Victor J Glover is set to become the first black person to fly to the Moon. On April 3, 2023, Glover was announced as the pilot for Artemis II. He will fly on Artemis II with NASA astronauts Gregory Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hensen.
As part of Artemis II, the four astronauts will be launched aboard an Orion spacecraft, atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and will venture around the Moon. Artemis II will be a 10-day mission, and will test and stress life-support systems of the Orion spacecraft to prove the capabilities and techniques required to live and work in deep space in ways only humans can do.
Here's everything you need to know about Glover.
Glover was born in Pomona, California. He is married to Dionna Odom, now Dionna Glover, and has four children.
Glover earned a bachelor of science degree in general engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1999, followed by a master of science degree in flight test engineering from Air University, Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 2007.
In 2009, he obtained a master of science degree in systems engineering from Naval Postgraduate School. In 2010, he obtained a master's degree in military operational art and science from Air University, Alabama.
After completing a space systems certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Glover was selected as the United States Navy's exchange pilot to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School.
He flew more than 30 aircraft in the United States and Italy during the one-year experimental test piloting course.
Glover was designated a test pilot on June 9, 2007.
Later, in Washington DC, Glover completed a certificate in legislative studies at Georgetown University.
Glover, who has flown more than 40 aircraft, performed over 400 carrier arrested landings, and participated in 24 combat missions, has accumulated about 3,000 flight hours.
Glover’s NASA experience
In 2013, Glover was selected as one of the eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. He completed the astronaut candidate training program in 2015.
He flew to the International Space Station as part of the NASA SpaceX Crew-1 mission. This was the first mission of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Glover reached the International Space Station (ISS) on November 15, 2020, and returned to Earth on May 2, 2021.
Glover served as flight engineer on the ISS during Expedition 64, and contributed to many things such as scientific experiments, growing crops, and taking pictures of Earth.
Glover participated in four spacewalks and completed 168 days in orbit.