Raja Chari Selected In NASA Artemis Team Of 18 Astronauts For Moon Missions

In the next step towards establishing a human base on the Moon, US space agency NASA has announced the names of astronauts that will form, what is being called the “Artemis Team.”?

A total of 18 astronauts were listed by NASA during the eighth National Space Council meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Indian-American Raja Chari Selected In NASA's Artemis Team Of 18 Astronauts For Future Missions

The astronauts selected by NASA to form the Artemis Team are:

Joseph Acaba, Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Victor Glover, Warren Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Christina Hammock Koch, Kjell Lindgren, Nicole A. Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir, Jasmin Moghbeli, Kate Rubins, Frank Rubio, Scott Tingle, Jessica Watkins, Stephanie Wilson.

Raja Chari, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, joined the astronaut corps in 2017. Raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Chari received a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering and a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics. Chari is also a graduate from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and has worked on F-15E upgrades and the F-35 development program, before coming to NASA.

A new generation of explorers

“I give you the heroes who will carry us to the Moon and beyond – the Artemis Generation,” said Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.?

(Representative Image: NASA)

“It is amazing to think that the next man and first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. The Artemis Team astronauts are the future of American space exploration – and that future is bright," continued Mike Pence, VP of United States.

In a?statement?announcing the names, NASA says that the team of astronauts comes from a “diverse range of backgrounds, expertise, and experience.” Additional members, including international partner astronauts, will also join the Artemis Team as needed. NASA is yet to announce flight assignments for the astronauts in the Artemis Team.

The new-formed team will help NASA prepare for the coming Artemis missions. The most ambitious lunar exploration program by NASA to date aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade.