Victor Glover
NASA pilot on Artemis II; first Black astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Last refreshed: 2 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What is pilot Victor Glover's role in Artemis II's lunar operations?
Latest on Victor Glover
- Who is Victor Glover?
- Victor Glover is a NASA astronaut and US Navy test pilot serving as pilot of Artemis II. He is the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit.Source: NASA astronaut biography
- Has Victor Glover been to space before?
- Yes. He was pilot on SpaceX Crew Dragon Crew-1 in November 2020, spending 168 days aboard the ISS during Expedition 64.Source: NASA mission records
- Why is Victor Glover's Artemis II flight historic?
- Glover is the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit, making his Artemis II flight a landmark in the history of human spaceflight.Source: NASA and space history records
- Why is Victor Glover on Artemis II?
- Glover is a Navy test pilot and veteran ISS crew member who piloted SpaceX Crew-1. He serves as pilot, responsible for spacecraft manoeuvres including the Proximity operations demo.Source: NASA crew announcement
Background
Victor Glover is the pilot of Artemis II, launched 1 April 2026, making him the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit and the first to journey toward the Moon.
Glover is a US Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut (class of 2013). He served as pilot on SpaceX Crew Dragon's first operational mission (Crew-1) in November 2020, spending 168 days aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 64. His selection for Artemis II as pilot was announced in April 2023. In the Artemis programme hierarchy, the pilot is second-in-command, responsible for spacecraft systems management and supporting the commander through flight operations.
Glover's presence on Artemis II carries historic weight: he follows in a lineage from Mae Jemison and represents a deliberate broadening of who NASA sends beyond Earth. His role is operational as much as symbolic; as pilot, he supported the manual Proximity operations demonstration in which the crew flew Orion to within approximately 10 metres of the upper stage.
