NASA astronaut Christina Koch is preparing to return to deep space as a mission specialist aboard Artemis II—the first crewed mission to journey around the Moon since the Apollo era more than half a century ago.

Selected for this landmark flight after an exceptional career in low-Earth orbit, Koch brings unmatched experience to the four-person Artemis II crew. During her time on the International Space Station, she completed multiple spacewalks and played a key role in research that continues to shape our understanding of long-duration spaceflight and its effects on the human body.

Koch is already a trailblazer in human spaceflight. She holds the record for the longest single space mission by a woman and helped make history during the first all-woman spacewalk—an achievement that redefined visibility and opportunity for future generations of explorers.

On Artemis II, Koch will help test and validate the Orion spacecraft and the critical systems that will enable upcoming lunar landings under the Artemis program—and eventually support missions deeper into the solar system.

From her early education in North Carolina to her work as a NASA engineer and astronaut, Christina Koch’s career has been defined by technical excellence, determination, and leadership under extreme conditions. As the world looks ahead to the next era of lunar exploration, her role on Artemis II stands as a powerful symbol of how experience, perseverance, and innovation are shaping humanity’s return to deep space.