Douglas will train with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
If a NASA astronaut is unable to participate in the flight, Douglas would join the Artemis II crew.
“Andre’s educational background and extensive operational experience in his various roles prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission,” said Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “He has excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments, and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA’s backup crew member for Artemis II.”
In November 2023, the CSA announced that Jenni Gibbons would be appointed as a backup crew member. Gibbons would go on the mission to represent Canada if Hansen was unavailable.
“Canada’s seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct result of our Canadarm3 contribution to the Lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons’ assignment as backup is of the utmost importance to our country,” said CSA President Lisa Campbell. “Since her recruitment, Jenni has repeatedly distinguished herself through her work with NASA and the CSA. She is also a tremendous role model for Canada’s future scientists, engineers and explorers.”
The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights after Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission.
The Artemis II test flight, which will last about 10 days and will launch aboard the agency’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, will test the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems and validate the capabilities and technologies needed for humans to live and work in deep space.
More about the Artemis II backup crew
Douglas graduated from NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Training Program in March 2024. A native of Virginia, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, and four postdoctoral degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University in Washington. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, salvage engineer, damage control assistant, and officer of the deck. He also served as a staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where he worked on marine robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions for NASA. Douglas served on the Joint EVA and Human Surface Mobility Test Team 5, where he worked with a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes human-in-the-loop tests, analog missions, and moonwalks. Most recently, Douglas worked with teams developing the lunar terrain vehicle, pressurized rover, lunar gateway, and lunar spacesuit.
Gibbons was recruited as a CSA astronaut in 2017 and completed her basic training in 2020. Since then, Gibbons has continued to work for the Canadian space program, serving in a variety of roles, including Mission Control as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during spacewalks, and commercial spacecraft and day-to-day operations of the International Space Station. Gibbons holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in mechanical engineering from McGill University in Montreal. While at McGill, she conducted research on flame propagation in microgravity in collaboration with CSA and Canada’s National Research Council Flight Research Laboratory in Ontario. She holds a doctorate in engineering from Jesus College, University of Cambridge, England.
Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency is laying the foundation for long-term lunar science, landing the first woman, the first person of color, and the first international astronaut on the lunar surface, and preparing for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.
For more information about NASA’s Artemis campaign, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
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Rachel Kraft/Madison Tuttle
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov/madison.e.tuttle@nasa.gov
Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
Courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov