For Michael Weinmann, space expert from SRF, the diverse composition of the NASA team was to be expected. “Personally, the choice of the Canadian surprised me a little. Because he has never completed a space mission.” Jeremy Hansen has worked for the US space agency for years and was also trained there. But NASA is leading the moon mission. Japan, Europe and Canada are just partners. “It was surprising to me that a non-American was taken on the very first manned Artemis mission.”
In principle, the requirements for taking part in such a mission are very high: “Astronauts have to meet very high standards in terms of health, cognitive skills and training,” explains Weinmann. The male members of the mission are fighter jet pilots. The only woman on the team, Christina Koch, is an electrical engineer. However, the team will not land on the moon. “The even more exciting question will be who is in ‘Artemis 3’,” concludes the SRF space travel expert. “These will be the people who walk on the moon.”