Victor Glover reflects on Artemis 2, space unity and the race to Mars

Victor Glover, 50, became the first Black astronaut to pilot Orion and travel to the Moon as part of Artemis 2, later retiring as NASA’s inaugural astronaut emeritus alongside commander Reid Wiseman. He recounted the poignant moment of saying goodbye to his daughters in quarantine before the April 1 launch, and recalled vivid experiences such as a solar eclipse on flight day six and a communication session with the International Space Station on day seven.

Glover emphasized that the mission demonstrated humanity’s capacity for unity, even as geopolitical competition with China intensifies. He argued that diversity should arise naturally within NASA rather than through mandated quotas, and predicted the United States will land on the Moon first while both nations race toward the lunar South Pole and eventually Mars. Looking ahead, he estimates a manned Mars landing could occur within the next ten to twenty years, especially with commercial partners like SpaceX and Blue Origin. After his flight, Glover will join California Polytechnic State University and appear at the Starmus Festival in La Palma, Spain.