NASA Announces Backup Crew for Artemis 2 Mission

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas (photo: Doc. NASA)

JAKARTA – NASA astronaut Andre Douglas was selected as a backup crew member for the Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday, July 3. After being selected, Andre will be trained to help ensure the smooth running and safety of the mission.

This backup astronaut will train with the four main crew members for the Artemis 2 mission, namely NASA Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Although Andre's position is not necessarily needed, he still needs to be trained so that he is ready when selected at any time. Andre can fly if his skills are needed or when one of the crew members experiences a very serious injury or illness.

Joe Acaba, NASA's Johnson Space Center Astronaut Chief, said that Andre was selected as a backup crew member because of his educational background and operational experience before joining NASA.

“It excels in astronaut candidate training and technical duties, and we are confident he will continue to do so as a NASA backup crew member for Artemis II," Joe said. "(His background and experience) are a testament to his readiness to support this mission."

In addition to Andre, CSA Astronaut Jenni Gibbons was also selected as a backup crew member in November last year. Unlike Andre, Jenni is certain to fly if Jeremy is unable to participate in the mission.

NASA emphasized that the selection of Andre and Jenni as backup crew members is not related to the Artemis 3 mission. To date, NASA has not selected crew members who will directly explore the moon.