Relative suspense

As Nasa ratcheted up the pressure for the past month, predictions were rife about the makeup of the U.S.-Canadian crew scheduled to launch to the Moon, not until November next year, for a 10-day mission, dubbed Artemis 2.

Would the crew be perfectly mixed ? Which visible minority would be featured ? Would all crew members be experienced ?

It's about the captain that most bettors got it right.

And the winners are...

It's definitely Reid Wiseman, who recently turned in his apron as Nasa's astronaut director, who gets to be the commander of the Artemis 2 mission.

The 47 year-old has already spent 165 days in space.

He will be assisted by Victor Glover, a 46 year-old African-American, who, for his part, has 167 days of microgravity (see his profile in Air & Cosmos #2711).

The only woman on the crew is mission specialist No. 1 Christina Koch (44 years old).

In February 2020, she had raised the female record for the longest continuous flight in space for a woman to 328 days.

Mission Specialist #2 is Jeremy Hansen, of the Canadian Space Agency (47 years old).

On the occasion of this first manned flight to the Moon attempted since December 1972 (without a lunar landing), he will perform his baptism of space.