'Don't Screw It Up': Victor Glover's Candid Take on Piloting NASA's Moon Mission

Victor Glover, a United States Navy Captain and NASA astronaut, has been selected as the pilot for NASA's Artemis II mission, marking a pivotal moment in space exploration. This 10-day journey will see Glover and his crew—commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—venture around the far side of the Moon, the first human mission of its kind since Apollo 17 in 1972.

As the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low-Earth orbit, Glover's role underscores the mission's emphasis on diversity and international collaboration. The flight aims to test the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems, crew controls, and the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, setting the stage for future lunar landings and Mars expeditions.

From Navy Skies to Cosmic Frontiers

Glover's path to the stars began on Earth with a distinguished military career. Born in Pomona, California, he graduated from Ontario High School in 1994, where he excelled as an athlete.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1999, followed by advanced degrees in flight test engineering, systems engineering and military operational art. Commissioned in the Navy, Glover accumulated over 3,500 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, including combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard the USS John F. Kennedy.

He served as a test pilot, a department head in Japan and even as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate. Selected for NASA's astronaut class in 2013, Glover's first spaceflight was as pilot on SpaceX's Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station in 2020, where he spent 168 days conducting experiments, performing four spacewalks and serving as a flight engineer.

The Weight of the Mission

Amid the excitement, Glover maintains a grounded perspective on the high-stakes endeavour. When reflecting on being among the first humans to return to the Moon in over half a century on CBS News' 60 Minutes, he quipped, 'Don't screw it up,' a half-joking yet sincere acknowledgement of the immense responsibility.

This sentiment emerged during discussions about the SLS rocket's rollout, where Glover praised the ground team's efforts: 'The real thing today is what it took to get that rocket out to the pad.' The crew has undergone nearly three years of rigorous training in simulators, preparing for the cramped confines of the Orion capsule and potential challenges like radiation exposure and a modified re-entry trajectory to address heat shield concerns from the uncrewed Artemis I test.

Visions from the Void

One of the mission's most intriguing aspects is the approximately 40-minute communication blackout as the spacecraft passes behind the Moon, placing the crew farthest from Earth and closest to the lunar surface. Glover views this isolation not as a peril but as an opportunity for profound human connection.

He hopes it inspires a 'human moment' on Earth: 'I would love for us to have a moment of togetherness, for humans to just go, "Hey, there's a part of humanity that's not in touch with the rest of us, and let's just get 'em all back, and then we can go back to the hustle and bustle,"' This reflection highlights Glover's broader vision of space exploration fostering global unity amid everyday divisions.

Paving the Way for Future Explorations

Artemis II represents more than a lunar flyby; it's a cornerstone of NASA's ambitions to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon by 2028, with partners like SpaceX for lunar landers. Glover's involvement, drawing on his ISS experience, will help validate technologies crucial for Mars missions.

Married to Dionna Odom and father of four, Glover balances his cosmic pursuits with family life, earning accolades such as the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and inclusion in TIME's 100 Next list in 2023. As humanity edges closer to multi-planetary existence, Glover's candid approach reminds us of the human element driving these bold steps forward.