The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II test flight
Image: Facebook/NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA's Artemis 2 mission is set to be the first crewed flyby of the Moon in more than half a century.
Four astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian, will take flight in this major mission.
Reid Wiseman, a 50-year-old former naval aviator and test pilot who was also a deputy chief of NASA's astronaut office, will be in command.
Victor Glover, 49, also served in the US Navy. He will pilot the spacecraft while also becoming the first Black man - and first non-white person - to travel to the Moon.
And engineer-by-training Christina Koch, 47, will become the first woman to participate in a lunar mission.
Canadian Jeremy Hansen, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot, will become the first non-American to fly around the Moon.
According to NASA, there are 189 unique menu items for the crew. It includes cauliflower, vegetable quiche and spicy green beans.
NASA said all meals must be carefully selected to remain safe, shelf-stable and easy to prepare and consume.
"Food selections are developed in coordination with space food experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual crew preferences," NASA said.
NASA Artemis II menu
Image: NASA
The team will set forth on the approximately 10-day mission and hurtle around Earth's natural satellite without landing -- much like Apollo 8 did in 1968. The journey marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission.
Artemis 2's objectives include verifying that both the rocket and the spacecraft are in working order in the hopes of paving the way for a return to the moon and a moon landing in 2028.
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