NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts reveal moon mission patch to honor 'AII'

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Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen hold up their newly revealed mission patch in front of a mockup of their Orion capsule at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on April 2, 2025. (Image credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz)

 

 

The next astronauts to fly to the moon now have a mission patch to represent their history-making journey.

 

NASA on Thursday (April 3) debuted the official Artemis 2 insignia, its first emblem for a moon-bound crew in more than 50 years. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will wear the patch when they launch on the Artemis 2 mission, currently targeted for no later than April 2026.

 

"This patch designates the mission as 'AII,' signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all," wrote the crew in their description of the mission patch.
 

 

Official artwork for the Artemis 2 crew mission patch representing the next mission to fly astronauts to the moon. (Image credit: NASA)

 

 

"The scene of the Earth and the moon represents the dual nature of human spaceflight, both equally compelling," wrote the Artemis 2 astronauts. "The moon represents our exploration destination, focused on discovery of the unknown. The Earth represents home, focused on the perspective we gain when we look back at our shared planet and learn what it is to be uniquely human."

The orbit depicted around Earth on the patch is intended to highlight the ongoing exploration missions that have enabled the Artemis program to set its sights on a long-term presence on the moon "and soon, Mars."

 

The crew's surnames in the lower left corner of the patch complete the design.
 

The Artemis 2 insignia is absent any country flags, though red, white and blue are the prevalent colors on the otherwise black and gray patch. Mission commander Wiseman, pilot Glover and mission specialist Koch are American astronauts, while mission specialist Hansen is from Canada. He will be the first person from a nation other than the U.S. to fly to the moon.

 

Hansen, together with the Canadian Space Agency, earlier revealed his personal patch for the mission. It features Indigenous art as a sign of respect for Canada's original explorers.

 

 

NASA's Artemis 2 crew members Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman pose for a photo with their mission patch at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. (Image credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz))

 

In addition to being humanity's first mission to the moon since 1972, the Artemis 2 mission will mark the first test flight of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft with astronauts on board.

 

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen will log more than 600,000 miles (965,000 kilometers) as they fly around the moon and back, including possibly traveling farther into space than any astronauts have flown before.