North Carolina astronaut could become first woman on the moon

NORTH CAROLINA — NASA has named North Carolina native Christina Koch to take part in the Artemis moon-landing program.

Koch is one of 18 astronauts -- half of them women -- who will train for the NASA program aiming for a moon landing by 2024.

The mission is expected to be split up into three parts: Artemis I will launch in 2021 with two test flights around the moon without astronauts; Artemis II will launch in 2023 with astronauts on board; Artemis III will bring astronauts back to the moon’s surface in 2024.

“It’s time to explore. Come along,” Koch Tweeted as part of the Artemis NASA announcement.

She and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir performed the world’s first all-female spacewalk last year and will now train together for the lunar landing missions.

The trip would mark the first time humans would land on the moon since 1972.

Channel 9 speaks with record-breaking NC astronaut as she prepares to return to Earth Channel 9 speaks with record-breaking NC astronaut as she prepares to return to Earth

Cox Media Group