For the first time in decades, astronauts are returning to the vicinity of the moon — but this time, a Mustang will be among them.
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo graduate and NASA astronaut Victor Glover is set to blast off into space Wednesday afternoon with the rest of the crew of the Artemis II on the first manned mission to orbit the moon since 1972.
From how to watch to more on Glover, here’s everything you need to know about the historic launch.
Glover, a 1999 engineering graduate of Cal Poly, was selected in 2023 to pilot the Artemis II mission.
Growing up in Pomona, Glover previously told The Tribune he had not first intended on a career in space, but his teachers and academic advisers at Cal Poly were among the first to encourage him to reach for the skies.
After graduating, he went on to join the Navy and earned his naval aviator wings in 2001. He also later got master’s degrees in flight test engineering at Air University at Edwards Air Force Base, in systems engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School, and in military operational art and science at Air University in Montgomery, Alabama, according to previous Tribune reporting.
Glover became a NASA astronaut in 2013, and piloted the SpaceX Crew-1 trip to the International Space Station in 2020.
In a statement to The Tribune on Tuesday, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong wished Glover well on his historic mission.
“We are incredibly proud of Victor Glover — he inspires the entire Cal Poly community,” Armstrong wrote. “He is a leader with character, integrity and excellence and is a shining example of what it means to be a Cal Poly graduate.”
Armstrong noted Glover’s dedication to both his country as a Navy pilot and NASA astronaut and also to Cal Poly and its Learn by Doing philosophy.
“He frequently credits Cal Poly and our Learn by Doing philosophy for instilling in him the resilience, adaptability and problem‑solving mindset that are essential to his success as both a pilot and an astronaut,” Armstrong said.
“Despite the demands of a remarkable and fast‑paced career, Victor remains deeply committed to his alma mater. He and his wife, Dionna, are treasured friends, to me personally and to our entire Cal Poly community. And his daughters are carrying on the family’s Cal Poly legacy.”
Two of Glover’s daughters currently attend the university, while his eldest graduated last year.
Armstrong concluded: “We join Victor’s family and the entire country in cheering him on as he pilots this exciting Artemis mission.”
What is Artemis II Mission?
Glover will join fellow NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the moon.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program, which “will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars,” the agency’s website said.
During the mission, astronauts will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems for the first time with people and lay the groundwork for future crewed Artemis missions, NASA said.
The mission will set several spaceflight records, including Glover becoming the first person of color and Koch becoming the first woman to travel to the moon’s proximity.
The Artemis II mission will not include a lunar landing, though that is planned for future Artemis missions.
When is Artemis II Liftoff?
The rocket is currently targeting a launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a two-hour window starting at 3:24 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, though that is subject to change based on a variety of factors.
As of Monday afternoon, the weather forecast showed an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions Wednesday, “with cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground as primary weather concerns,” NASA said in a release. Teams were expected to continue monitoring the weather in the days ahead of the launch.
Additional launch opportunities are on Monday, April 6, NASA said.
How to Watch
Broadcast coverage is expected to begin early Wednesday with live views and audio commentary of tanking operations beginning at 4:45 a.m. PDT on NASA’s YouTube channel.
Full coverage on the streaming service NASA+ begins at 9:50 a.m. PDT.
Other streaming services such as Amazon Prime are expected to also pick up coverage of the historic launch.
Members of the public can also register to attend the launch virtually through NASA’s virtual guest program.
That program includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch, according to the website.