Christina Koch Getting ready to make history again. Veteran NASA An astronaut has been selected for the upcoming event Artemis II mission– A pioneering mission that will send humans around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Koch will join his fellow astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Gloverand Jeremy Hansen A trip that takes about 10 days. Known for her record-breaking time in space and her role in the first women’s spacewalk, Koch is now set to become the first woman to fly around the moon.
Learn more about her life, career, and journey to this historic moment below.
She is originally from North Carolina
Koch was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Growing up, she was inspired by pioneering astronauts and developed an early passion for science and exploration that eventually led her to pursue engineering and physics.
She is a NASA astronaut who was selected in 2013
Koch was selected as part of NASA’s astronaut class of 2013, and subsequently spent 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station, the longest spaceflight by a woman. During that mission, she also participated in the first all-female spacewalk alongside a fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.
“We caught each other’s eye, and we realized we were truly honored by this opportunity to inspire so many,” Koch told CNN at the time. “Just hearing our voices talking to mission control, knowing that two female voices were never there, solving those problems together out there — it was a really special feeling.”
She is married to fellow engineer Robert Koch
Christina is married to Robert Kochan engineer, and the couple has largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight. She shared that she often brings personal items, like handwritten notes from loved ones, on missions, highlighting how important her family support system is during long periods away from Earth.
She worked in Antarctica before joining NASA
Before becoming an astronaut, Koch worked in some of the harshest environments on Earth, including Antarctica, Greenland, and Alaska. She spent years as a field engineer supporting scientific research, even completing a winter in Antarctica, where she endured months of isolation and harsh conditions, an experience that helped prepare her for long-duration space missions.
She will become the first woman to fly around the moon
Koch is set to make history on the Artemis 2 mission, becoming the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit and fly around the moon. The roughly 10-day mission represents NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years, and is a big step toward future lunar landings.
