Washington: An Indian-American is among the 18 astronauts selected by NASA for its manned mission to the Moon and beyond. NASA named Wednesday the 18 astronauts who will train for its ‘Artemis’ moon-landing programme. Half of the astronauts are woman. Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, 43, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School, is the only Indian-American in the list.
Chari was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. He reported for duty in August 2017. He has completed the initial astronaut candidate training and is now eligible for a mission assignment.
“My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the Moon and beyond: the ‘Artemis Generation’,” US Vice- President Mike Pence said at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida Wednesday.
“It really is amazing to think that the next man and the first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. We started today reflecting on a great hero of the past. The ‘Artemis Generation’ is the heroes of American space exploration in the future,” Pence added.
The astronauts on the Artemis Team come from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise and experience. Most of the astronauts in the group are in their 30s or 40s. The oldest is 55, the youngest 32.
NASA’s modern lunar exploration programme will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024. The programme will establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade, NASA said.
NASA will announce flight assignments for astronauts later, pulling from the ‘Artemis’ Team. Additional ‘Artemis’ Team members, including international partner astronauts, will join this group, as needed.
“We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice-president’s support of the ‘Artemis’ programme,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “As a result, we’re excited to share this next step in exploration – naming the ‘Artemis Team’ of astronauts who will lead the way, which includes the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface,” he added.
The selected astronauts will help NASA prepare for the coming ‘Artemis’ missions. They also will engage the public and industry on NASA’s exploration plans.
“There is so much exciting work ahead of us as we return to the moon. It will take the entire astronaut corps to make that happen,” Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester said. “Walking on the lunar surface would be a dream come true for any one of us, and any part we can play in making that happen is an honour,” he added.
The other members on the list include Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. These are the two astronauts who performed the world’s first all-female spacewalk last year.