{"id":14870,"date":"2026-04-13T09:19:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=14870"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:19:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:19:16","slug":"%f0%9f%8c%8c-what-did-they-see-that-they-didnt-fully-say-just-minutes-ago-during-a-post-mission-press-briefing-the-crew-of-artemis-ii-spoke-about-their-historic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=14870","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf0c \u201cWHAT DID THEY SEE\u2026 THAT THEY DIDN\u2019T FULLY SAY?\u201d Just minutes ago, during a post-mission press briefing, the crew of Artemis II spoke about their historic journey \u2014 the distance, the reentry, the success. It sounded measured, controlled\u2026 exactly what you\u2019d expect."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Astronauts who went\u00a0farther into space than any other humans\u00a0have returned to Earth after a dramatic reentry and splashdown near San Diego. All four will instantly become space celebrities and help humans understand their existence.<\/p>\n<p>For two, however, their mission took on a special journey as they became the first Black man and first woman to go to the moon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-4\"><\/div>\n<p>NASA\u2019s\u00a0Christina Koch, Victor Glover and the trailblazing\u00a0Artemis II crew\u00a0landed safely Friday after their nine-day journey to circle the moon and return. They are all part of the second phase of NASA\u2019s ambitious Artemis program, which aims to one day establish a permanent presence on the moon and Mars.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear how much of a role these astronauts will have in the next phases of the program, but they and fellow crewmates Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen are expected to train crews on future missions.\u00a0NASA says\u00a0that they will help apply data gathered during their lunar flyby, including how flight hardware and emergency system capabilities performed. They will also likely be sought-after speakers at schools and events and can help tell of deep space to countless Americans and others.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><\/div>\n<p>All four astronauts broke the record for the farthest distance ever traveled from Earth on this mission. But Koch and Glover were NASA standouts long before\u00a0the launch of their Orion capsule\u00a0in Florida last week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 kgMUDT\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/24\/GettyImages-2268810831.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/24\/GettyImages-2268810831.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/24\/GettyImages-2268810831.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"NASA\u2019s Artemis II astronauts returned home on Friday after a historic 10-day lunar flyby. Two members of the crew just became the first woman and person of color to go to the moon\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12375\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">NASA\u2019s Artemis II astronauts returned home on Friday after a historic 10-day lunar flyby. Two members of the crew just became the first woman and person of color to go to the moon<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 klBOuN\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/04\/GettyImages-2269453557.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/04\/GettyImages-2269453557.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/04\/GettyImages-2269453557.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"NASA's 322-foot-tall Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center last week in Cape Canaveral. The launch went off without a hitch\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12376\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">NASA\u2019s 322-foot-tall Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center last week in Cape Canaveral. The launch went off without a hitch<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 dsljFJ\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/11\/0\/29\/SEI292700316.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/11\/0\/29\/SEI292700316.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/11\/0\/29\/SEI292700316.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"The astronauts arrived safely back on Earth Friday after a dangerous reentry\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12377\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">The astronauts arrived safely back on Earth Friday after a dangerous reentry<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(via REUTERS)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Koch set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and Glover made history as the first Black astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station. Now they get to add the moon mission to their resumes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-6\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-toncsa-0 lfyduH\"><\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to know about the pioneering pair:<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 dDVXDN\">\n<h2>Victor Glover<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>Victor Glover\u00a0was born in Pomona, California, on April 30, 1976. He watched a space shuttle launch as a child, and that got him hooked on space, his father, Victor Glover, Sr., told\u00a0WLBT\u00a0in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd basically said he\u2019d like to fly that, and I think that\u2019s kinda where the spark began,\u201d the older Glover said.<\/p>\n<p>After graduating from Ontario High School in 1994, Glover earned his Bachelor\u2019s degree in general engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 beTUCa\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/GettyImages-1232643022.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/GettyImages-1232643022.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/GettyImages-1232643022.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"NASA astronaut Victor Glover is helped out of a SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft after a mission in May 2021. He later flew on the Artemis II mission\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12378\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">NASA astronaut Victor Glover is helped out of a SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft after a mission in May 2021. He later flew on the Artemis II mission<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>He played Division I sports in college, including wrestling and football.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t come in with a great work ethic. I had to step up and learn to work hard, at both sports and academics,\u201d Glover\u00a0previously said. \u201cIt was a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1998, Glover entered the U.S. Navy\u2019s Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program, which is designed to give financial assistance to people working toward their Bachelor\u2019s degree while training for a Naval Reserve officer position.<\/p>\n<p>Glover graduated in 1999,\u00a0planning to travel the world\u00a0during his eight-year commitment to the Navy, then earn his Ph.D. and become a college professor. Shortly after, Glover completed flight training, earning his wings as a Naval Aviator in December 2001.<\/p>\n<p>From there, he went on to be test pilot, testing the F\/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. Glover was also deployed with the Navy in support of\u00a0Operation Iraqi Freedom\u00a0in 2003.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 dOVNdP\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/15\/NASA-ARTEMIS-MISI%C3%93N_LUNAR_2344_.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/15\/NASA-ARTEMIS-MISI%C3%93N_LUNAR_2344_.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/15\/NASA-ARTEMIS-MISI%C3%93N_LUNAR_2344_.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"The Artemis II mission completed a fly-by of the moon earlier in the week\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12379\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">The Artemis II mission completed a fly-by of the moon earlier in the week<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(NASA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 eHArGV\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/13\/00\/AP26099493271884.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/13\/00\/AP26099493271884.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/13\/00\/AP26099493271884.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"The Artemis II mission was the first returned trip to the moon since 1972\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12380\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">The Artemis II mission was the first returned trip to the moon since 1972<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(NASA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>He flew 24 combat missions and accumulated 3,500 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>When he wasn\u2019t flying, he was at school. Glover later added three Master\u2019s degrees between 2007-2010.<\/p>\n<p>Two years later, after living in Japan and while completing a Legislative Fellowship for former Arizona Senator John McCain, he was selected as an astronaut candidate. By 2013, Glover was one of the eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class and he completed the required candidate training in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>He helped to command the International Space Station during several launches before he was assigned to his first mission as a pilot in 2018 on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 jZKvFG\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/37\/GettyImages-2269415176.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/37\/GettyImages-2269415176.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/37\/GettyImages-2269415176.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"Glover takes a photo with his family shortly before the Artemis II mission\u2019s launch at Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12381\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">Glover takes a photo with his family shortly before the Artemis II mission\u2019s launch at Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 dOVNdP\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/55\/GettyImages-2269802308.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/55\/GettyImages-2269802308.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/55\/GettyImages-2269802308.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"The Artemis II crew poses for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12382\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">The Artemis II crew poses for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(NASA via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>After launching in November 2020, he spent 168 days on the space station, completing four spacewalks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNASA\u2019s vision is \u2018to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind.\u2019 In a time when there are so many things that we let divide us, it just seems to be this really powerful unifying thing,\u201d Glover told\u00a0<em>Cal Poly<\/em>. \u201cAnd that is my favorite aspect of this job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Glover, who is now 49, was assigned as the pilot of the Artemis II mission in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>He, his wife of more than 20 years,\u00a0Dionna Odom, and their four daughters \u2013 Genesis, Maya, Joia, and Corinne. They all live in Southern California.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 dDVXDN\">\n<h2>Christina Koch<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 TyqSS\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/42\/GettyImages-2256147377.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/42\/GettyImages-2256147377.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/42\/GettyImages-2256147377.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"NASA astronaut Christina Koch looks on during the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew in January 2025 at Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12383\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">NASA astronaut Christina Koch looks on during the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew in January 2025 at Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Christina Koch\u00a0was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 29, 1979. Her mother, Barbara Johnsen, was a middle school math teacher, and her father, Dr. Ronald Hammock, was a physician. She has three younger siblings, none who have been named publicly.<\/p>\n<p>Koch knew she wanted to become an astronaut since she was a little girl, a role that would also allow her to become an explorer.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1347823103822522%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Growing up, she cut out pictures of space and Antarctica from\u00a0<em>National Geographic<\/em>\u00a0magazine and put them on her walls, according to\u00a0<em>NC State Magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of these places that were on the frontiers, places to be explored, just caught my interest from the time I was really young,\u201d she told the publication.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 fdUTOT\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/06\/GettyImages-1198908184.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/06\/GettyImages-1198908184.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/06\/GettyImages-1198908184.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"Koch is helped out of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft in Kazakhstan in February 2020\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12384\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">Koch is helped out of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft in Kazakhstan in February 2020<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(NASA via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Her family moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina, in 1982. There, she attended White Oak High School and graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 1997. She would spend summers on the family\u2019s farm in Michigan, before she attended North Carolina State University.<\/p>\n<p>At college, she double majored in electrical engineering and physics \u2013 earning two Bachelor\u2019s degrees and a Master\u2019s degree in electrical engineering.<\/p>\n<p>She was also part of the sailing club, was a rock climber, took photographs for the\u00a0<em>Technician<\/em>, volunteered with habitat for Humanity and Engineers Without Borders and studied abroad in Ghana in 1999.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI stayed very busy. I was interested in so many different things,\u201d Koch said in an interview with\u00a0Wolfpack Solutions\u00a0in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>After she graduated, Koch knew that becoming an astronaut was a long shot and decided to pursue jobs that would challenge her.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 cGElpE\" data-gallery-length=\"11\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/SELFIE.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/SELFIE.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/04\/10\/19\/56\/SELFIE.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" alt=\"NASA astronaut Christina Koch takes a selfie with the Earth behind her while performing the first all-woman spacewalk in October 2019\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0 sc-awdjp1-1 bMDiiD\" data-component=\"AutoGalleryButton\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\"><button id=\"trigger-autogallery-12385\" class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">NASA astronaut Christina Koch takes a selfie with the Earth behind her while performing the first all-woman spacewalk in October 2019<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\">\u00a0(NASA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>She worked as an electrical engineer at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center from 2002-2004. Then, she became a research associate in the United States Antarctic Program through 2007 and an electrical engineer in the Space Department of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University from 2007-2009.<\/p>\n<p>She and Glover were selected to the same astronaut class and she launched on her first mission to the space station in 2019 as a flight engineer.<\/p>\n<p>Koch spent a record 328 days in space and conducted six spacewalks, including the first three all women spacewalks.<\/p>\n<p>On Artemis II, the 47-year-old serves as a mission specialist, checking life support, navigation and communications systems.<\/p>\n<p>She lives with her husband Robert Koch and their rescue dog named \u201cLittle Brown Dog\u201d in Galveston, Texas, according to\u00a0<em>Men\u2019s Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo the young women and aspiring explorers out there: never doubt what you\u2019re capable of,\u201d Koch wrote in a Facebook\u00a0post\u00a0on Thursday. \u201cYour dreams are valid, your voice matters, and your place in science, engineering, and space is absolutely yours to claim.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Astronauts who went\u00a0farther into space than any other humans\u00a0have returned to Earth after a dramatic reentry and splashdown near San Diego. All four will instantly become space&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14870"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14870\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14872,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14870\/revisions\/14872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}