It has been more than 50 years since humans first walked on the Moon when Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins of Apollo 11 reached the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. More astronauts followed but all of them were men.

Now, NASA plans to land the first woman on the Moon within the next three years together with the first woman and person of color. The American space agency presented the shortlist of nine candidates, which included a marine veteran who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, a helicopter pilot mother of twins, and many others.

Shortlist of Female Astronaut Candidates for Artemis Program

NASA's uncrewed Artemis I rocket is set to launch later this month, which is the first of the three complex missions that will pave the way for sending humans back to the lunar surface. MailOnline has compiled the list of female astronauts who could become the first woman on the Moon. Here they are:

Kayla Baron (The Young Gun)

Baron is a 34-year-old astronaut with 176 days, 2 hours, and 39 minutes record in space. She is the second youngest to be shortlisted in the Artemis program. 

Christina Koch (The Veteran)

Koch holds the record of the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days, 13 hours, and 58 minutes under her belt.

Nicole Mann (The Duke)

Mann is known as "The Duke" even during her time in the Marines. She is a Colonel and former test pilot who flew 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Armstrong, being a pilot could be her edge over other candidates.

Ann McClain (The Annimal)

McClain is a 43-year-old former army helicopter pilot and Iraq veteran. She has plenty of flying and military experience and has spent 203 days, 15 hours, and 16 minutes in space.

Jessica Meir (The Dreamer)

Meir has traversed some of Earth's harshest environments, from diving expeditions to cave and undersea experiments. Like others on the list, she also had experience going to space with a record of 204 days, 15 hours, and 19 minutes under her belt.

Jasmin Moghbeli (The Skateboarding Chopper Pilot)

This 39-year-old was chosen last March to become the commander of NASA's upcoming SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. Aside from that, she is also a proud mother to her twin girls.

First Woman on the Moon: NASA Presents List of Female Astronauts for Its Artemis Mission
(Photo : Pixabay/Borkia)
First Woman on the Moon: NASA Presents List of Female Astronauts for Its Artemis Mission

Kate Rubins (The Virus Hunter)

She is the first person to sequence DNA in space, being a microbiologist with a Ph.D. in cancer biology aside from being an astronaut. Rubins became the 60th woman to fly in space on July 7, 2016, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

Jessica Watkins (The Geologist)

Watkins is the youngest on the list and is currently in space serving as a mission specialist for NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission in the International Space Station (ISS) that was launched on April 27, 2022. She has been giving updates about her space mission on Twitter. 

Stephanie Wilson (The Favourite)

At 55 years old, Wilson has achieved so many things being she was the second Black woman in space and is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions in 2006, 2007, and 2010. She is also the most senior and most-flown African American female astronaut, with more than 42 days in orbit. If chosen, she will not only be the first woman on the Moon but will also become the oldest person to have walked on the lunar surface, surpassing Alan Shepard, who was 47 years and 80 days old in 1971.

ALSO READ: NASA Adds 1st Black Woman In Artemis Program: Who is Jessica Watkins?

Estimated Date for Artemis III

According to NASA, the Artemis program plans to send humans to the Moon by 2024. However, with the delays that could affect this timeline, it seems that the Artemis III will be launched later in 2025.

The Artemis III mission will be a crewed lunar landing, which depends on a support mission from a Human Landing System (HLS) in a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of the Moon.

The astronauts will be wearing modern spacesuits that will allow for greater flexibility and movement to collect samples and conduct science experiments within their seven-day stay on the lunar surface. They will be using the lander to return to the lunar orbit before they head home.

RELATED ARTICLE: NASA Says First Crewed Artemis Moon Landing Delayed Until 2025

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