NASA Chooses Astronauts for 2024 Moon Mission—Including Nine Women

In 2024, NASA plans to shoot for the moon—again—via a program called Artemis. On Wednesday, it announced the first cadre of astronauts chosen to start training.

Who’s who: Eighteen of the space agency’s 47 active astronauts were tapped for Artemis, and nine are women. One of them will likely become the first woman to set foot on the moon. (TBD on whether any of them plans to revise Neil Armstrong’s famous quote).

Meet a few of the chosen ones:

• Christina Koch, the recent record-setter on longest-duration spaceflight for a woman
• Jessica Meir, who participated in the first all-women spacewalks alongside Koch
• Kate Rubins, one of five NASA crew members currently living in orbit

The 18 astronauts will start training together, but it’s important to note these aren’t official crew assignments. More astronauts will be chosen down the line. Some will remain in low Earth orbit, some will fly around the moon, and others will experience the craters first-foot.

+ While we’re here: No word yet on whether the Biden Administration plans to slow down NASA’s 2024 launch timeline or stick with the same plan.