NASA has chosen astronaut Andre Douglas as its backup crew member for the company’s Artemis II take a look at flight, the primary crewed mission below NASA’s Artemis marketing campaign.
Douglas will prepare alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian House Company (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Within the occasion a NASA astronaut is unable to participate within the flight, Douglas would be a part of the Artemis II crew.
“Andre’s academic background and in depth operational expertise in his varied jobs previous to becoming a member of NASA are clear proof of his readiness to help this mission,” stated Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA’s Johnson House Middle in Houston. “He excelled in his astronaut candidate coaching and technical assignments, and we’re assured he’ll proceed to take action as NASA’s backup crew member for Artemis II.”
The CSA introduced Jenni Gibbons as its backup crew member in November 2023. Gibbons would step into the mission to symbolize Canada ought to Hansen not be out there.
“Canada’s seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct results of our contribution of Canadarm3 to the lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons’ project as backup is of utmost significance for our nation,” stated CSA President Lisa Campbell. “Since being recruited, Jenni has distinguished herself repeatedly by way of her work with NASA and the CSA. She can be an incredible function mannequin for Canada’s future scientists, engineers, and explorers.”
The choice of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is impartial of the choice of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not but chosen crew members for Artemis flights past Artemis II. All energetic NASA astronauts are eligible for project to any human spaceflight mission.
The roughly 10-day Artemis II take a look at flight will launch on the company’s highly effective SLS (House Launch System) rocket, show the Orion spacecraft’s life-support methods, and validate the capabilities and methods wanted for people to reside and work in deep area.
Extra on Artemis II backup crew
Douglas graduated from NASA’s astronaut candidate coaching program in March 2024. He’s a Virginia native and earned a bachelor’s diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, in addition to 4 post-graduate levels from varied establishments, together with a doctorate in Methods Engineering from George Washington College in Washington. Douglas served within the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, salvage engineer, harm management assistant, and officer of the deck. He additionally labored as a workers member on the Johns Hopkins College Utilized Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, engaged on maritime robotics, planetary protection, and area exploration missions for NASA. Douglas participated within the Joint EVA and Human Floor Mobility Take a look at Workforce 5, working with a specialised group that develops, integrates, and executes human-in-the-loop checks, analog missions, and Moonwalks. Most not too long ago, Douglas labored with groups on the event of the lunar terrain automobile, pressurized rover, lunar Gateway and lunar spacesuit.
Gibbons was recruited as a CSA astronaut in 2017 and accomplished her fundamental coaching in 2020. Since then, Gibbons has continued to serve Canada’s area program and has labored in several positions, together with Mission Management as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) throughout spacewalks, and industrial spacecraft and every day Worldwide House Station operations. Gibbons holds an honors bachelor’s diploma in Mechanical Engineering from McGill College in Montreal. Whereas at McGill, she carried out analysis on flame propagation in microgravity in collaboration with CSA and Canada’s Nationwide Analysis Council Flight Analysis Laboratory in Ontario. She holds a doctorate in engineering from Jesus School on the College of Cambridge, England.
Beneath NASA’s Artemis marketing campaign, the company is establishing the muse for long-term scientific exploration on the Moon, land the primary girl, first individual of colour, and its first worldwide companion astronaut on the lunar floor, and put together for human expeditions to Mars for the good thing about all.
Be taught extra about NASA’s Artemis marketing campaign at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
-end-
Rachel Kraft/Madison TuttleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov/madison.e.tuttle@nasa.gov
Courtney BeasleyJohnson House Middle, Houston281-483-5111courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov