HOUSTON (NEWS10) — NASA is taking the next major step to eventually put people back on the moon. Four astronauts have been selected to man the upcoming Artemis II mission.

The team consists of three Americans and one Canadian: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The crew is set to make history. Koch and Glover will become the first woman and the first person of color to eventually step foot on the lunar surface.

The Capital Region is playing a small role in the return to the moon. Wiseman, the mission’s commander, is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“He is just a marvelous person, and it is really thrilling to know he has been given this opportunity,” RPI Pres. Martin Schmidt said. “Reid really personifies and embodies much of the student body here today, a huge curiosity and passion for science and engineering and the humanities.”

Artemis II is scheduled to circle the moon sometime in 2024. The astronauts will return and touch down on the moon’s surface in 2025.