Who will be the next person to walk on the moon? The most likely candidates revealed, as NASA counts down to its return to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years
By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
With the crew of Artemis II safely back on Earth, the countdown is already on for the next big moon mission.
In 2028, during NASA's Artemis IV mission, two astronauts will become the first people to land on the moon since the end of the Apollo era more than 50 years ago.
The space agency has previously suggested that this crew would include the first woman and first person of colour to set foot on the moon.
But the big question remains: who could NASA select for this historic mission?
While the crew of Artemis II – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – have only just finished their last mission, they aren't necessarily out of the running.
During the Apollo missions, NASA reused several crew members across multiple launches, with four astronauts having travelled to the moon twice.
To make things even more exciting, there is a good chance NASA will include a crewmember from another nation's space agency – and could even pick a British astronaut.
Here's a look at the most likely candidates for NASA's next generation of moonlanders.
With the crew of Artemis II – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – back on Earth, the countdown has begun to find NASA's moon landing crew
Dr Jessica Meir
In 2020, NASA unveiled what it called the 'Artemis Team', a list of 18 astronauts who were supposed to train for the moon landing.
The space agency appeared to have scrapped this list by choosing Reid Wiseman, who was not on the Artemis Team, as mission commander of Artemis II, but it still gives a good idea of who might be in the running.
Possibly the best candidate from those 18 is Dr Jessica Meir, a veteran astronaut with over 205 days in space and three spacewalks under her belt.
Dr Meir has a PhD in marine biology, specialising in the physiology of animals in extreme environments, and was selected for the astronaut programme in 2013.
During her mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Dr Meir also made history by taking part in the first all–female spaceflight alongside Artemis II crewmember Christina Koch.
Her extensive mission experience and connection to Koch make her a natural candidate for Artemis IV.
The only potential snag is that Dr Meir is currently in space, serving as commander aboard the ISS for NASA's SpaceX Crew–12 mission.
Jessica Meir: A veteran astronaut with over 205 days in space and three spacewalks under her belt. She made the first all–female spacewalk alongside Artemis II's Christina Koch
Dr Jessica Watkins: In 2019, Dr Watkins became the first black woman to serve on the ISS for a long-term mission, spending a total of 170 days in space
The top contenders for the Artemis IV crew
* Dr Jessica Meir
* Dr Jessica Watkins
* Stephanie Wilson
* Christina Koch
* Dr Andre Douglas
* Randolph 'Komrade' Bresnik
* Suwa Makoto
* Rosemary Coogan
But if she is back on Earth and ready in time, that extra leadership experience might make her an even better choice.
Dr Jessica Watkins
Another standout candidate from the Artemis Team roster is Dr Jessica Watkins, an astronaut who is no stranger to making history.
After completing her astronaut training in 2019, Dr Watkins was selected to serve as a mission specialist on the ISS during NASA's SpaceX Crew–4 mission.
In doing so, she became the first black woman to serve on the ISS for a long-term mission, spending a total of 170 days in space.
Even more importantly, Dr Watkins is a highly accomplished geologist who served as chief geologist for a NASA analogue mission at the Mars Desert Research Station.
Given that NASA wants to assess the landing site near the moon's south pole for suitability as a long–term base, those skills could prove invaluable.
Stephanie Wilson
Stephanie Wilson: The longest serving astronaut in the 2020 'Artemis Team', Ms Wilson is a veteran of four shuttle flights with 42 days in space
Has NASA reused astronauts for moon missions?
Although it wasn't common, NASA did use the same astronauts multiple times for the Apollo missions.
In total, four people have been to the moon twice:
+ Jim Lovell: Apollo 8 and Apollo 13
+ John Young: Apollo 10 and Apollo 16
+ Eugene Cernan: Apollo 10 and Apollo 17
+ John Young: Apollo 10 and Apollo 16
However, no one has ever walked on the moon more than once.
If NASA wants to prioritise experience on its next mission to the moon, Stephanie Wilson would be an ideal candidate.
Having been selected as an astronaut in 1996, Ms Wilson is the longest–serving astronaut named on NASA's Artemis List.
After studying engineering at Harvard University and the University of Texas, Ms Wilson joined NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1992.
She is a veteran of three spaceflights aboard the shuttle and has logged more than 42 days in space.
In fact, Ms Wilson would have had more experience were it not for the infamous failure of the Boeing Starliner capsule in 2024.
NASA had announced that she would fly as a mission specialist on the SpaceX Crew–9 mission, but Ms Wilson gave up her spot to make room for the safe return of the stranded Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
In another interesting connection, Ms Wilson actually served as ground controller at Houston during Christina Koch and Jessica Meir's first all–female spacewalk.
Christina Koch
Christina Koch: Although Ms Koch flew on Artemis II, NASA has reused astronauts for moon missions in the past, and she is easily the agency's most experienced astronaut
Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut?
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While it might seem odd for NASA to reuse an astronaut who has already flown on Artemis II, this might be a great choice for the space agency.
NASA has no rule against re–using astronauts and, while no astronaut has ever walked on the moon twice, astronauts frequently served on repeat missions during Apollo.
Christina Koch is by far the agency's most experienced candidate, having spent 328 days in space during the longest single spaceflight by a woman and undertaking six spacewalks.
Having returned to Earth after Artemis II, Ms Koch and her crewmates have already started conducting simulations, testing the equipment for the lunar landing while their bodies are still adapted to space.
This means that they are currently the only astronauts with experience of travelling on the Orion crew capsule, and using the scientific equipment NASA intends to deploy during Artemis IV.
That valuable experience may well prove to be something that NASA cannot give up on for future missions.
Dr Andre Douglas
One of the top contenders to be the first man on the moon since Apollo is Andre Douglas.
Dr Andre Douglas: The backup astronaut for Artemis II, who trained alongside that crew and was ready to step in if anyone could not make the final launch
Dr Douglas has a PhD in systems engineering from George Washington University and served in the US Coast Guard as a naval architect.
When he was selected for NASA's astronaut programme, he was a senior staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab researching planetary defence and space exploration.
Dr Douglas has been involved in some of NASA's most important scientific projects of recent years.
He supported the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) planetary defence mission for NASA and was part of the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium that worked to develop technology for a return to the moon.
But most importantly, Dr Douglas was selected as a backup crew member for the Artemis II mission.
That means he trained alongside Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen and could have stepped in to fill their position.
Although he lacks spaceflight experience, NASA was clearly ready to trust him with Artemis II and could be prepared to put their faith in him again.
Randolph 'Komrade' Bresnik
Randolph 'Komrade' Bresnik: One of NASA's most experienced astronauts, Mr Bresnik serves as the space agency's Assistant-to-the-Chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration
Randolph Bresnik is one of NASA's most experienced astronauts and already has a critical role in the Artemis program.
Bresnik was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps in 1989, becoming a F/A–18 Test Pilot.
He was eventually deployed to Kuwait to fly combat missions as part of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He has logged over 7,000 hours in more than 95 different types of aircraft, and 3,600 hours in spacecraft alone.
He has flown on multiple NASA missions, most recently serving as ISS commander for Expedition 53, logging over 149 days in space and 32 hours of space walks.
Critically, he is currently serving as the Assistant-to-the-Chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration.
This means Bresnik manages the development and testing of everything that will operate beyond low–Earth orbit for the Artemis missions.
That means there is no other astronaut with a better understanding of what it will take to land on the moon in 2028.
Suwa Makoto: If NASA decides to partner with an international space agency, Japan's Suwa Makoto would be a strong contender
Suwa Makoto
However, there is a good chance that it won't just be Americans returning to the moon with Artemis IV.
Canadian Jeremy Hansen joined Artemis II, and the US space agency is likely to invite one of its international partners to send an astronaut again.
Scott Pace, Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, told the Daily Mail: 'I believe Japan will have some future slots for its astronauts.'
Of those Japanese astronauts, one of the best candidates would be Suwa Makoto.
Having graduated from Princeton University with a degree in geosciences, he worked at the World Meteorological Organisation and the World Bank before becoming an astronaut.
Mr Makoto only completed his astronaut training in 2024, but has already joined the European Space Agency for a cave training exercise.
He has already been nominated for a long–duration mission aboard the ISS, due to begin in 2027, and is in active training for that role.
That could mean he will be in top condition and fresh out of a mission working with NASA astronauts by the time Artemis IV is ready to launch.
Dr Rosemary Coogan: As Britain's only active astronaut, Dr Coogan would be the natural choice if NASA decides it wants to take a British crew member to the moon
Dr Rosemary Coogan
While Japan's space agency has a good shot at providing the first international astronaut for a NASA mission, Britain still stands a chance.
In 2022, then deputy NASA administrator Pamela Melroy said she felt 'very confident we'll have an international partner' and singled out the UK for its role in helping to develop the Lunar Gateway project.
If NASA does choose to partner with Britain, our best hope is Dr Rosemary Coogan – currently the only active British astronaut.
Dr Coogan graduated from the University of Sussex in 2019 with a doctorate in astronomy before joining the French space agency CNES.
In 2022, Dr Coogan was selected as an astronaut candidate in the European Space Agency and became certified in 2024.
While she is yet to gain any spaceflight experience, Dr Coogan is still a highly qualified scientist and Britain's best hope for landing on the moon.
In total 12 people have walked on the moon.
1 + 2. Apollo 11 - July 21, 1969
Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first person to set foot on the lunar surface, before he he was followed by crewmate Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin.
3 + 4. Apollo 12 - November 19 and 20, 1969
Pete Conrad and Alan Bean were the moon walkers on the Apollo 12 mission.
The Apollo 12 crew experienced two lightning strikes just after their Saturn V rocket launched.
5 + 6. Apollo 14 - February 5, 1971
Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell were part of the Apollo 14 mission. They launched on January 31, 1971, and landed in the Fra Mauro region of the moon, the original destination for Apollo 13.
7 + 8. Apollo 15 - July 31, 1971
Dave Scott and James Irwin landed on the moon and stayed for three days, until August 2.
9 + 10. Apollo 16 - April 21, 1972
John Young and Charlie Duke were the next men to walk on the moon. When the crew reached lunar orbit, the mission almost had to be aborted because of a problem with the command and service module's main engine.
11 + 12. Apollo 17 - December 11, 1972
The final people to walk on the moon were Eugene (Gene) Cernan and Harrison (Jack) Schmitt.
Before he left the moon, Cernan scratched the initials of his daughter Tracy into the lunar regolith. Since the moon does not experience weather conditions like wind or rain to erode anything away, her initials should stay there for a very long time.
All the men who have been to the moon
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