Stories
Why It Took 58 Years for a Woman to Travel Around the Moon
M
Moneycontrol•16-10-2026, 11:45
Why It Took 58 Years for a Woman to Travel Around the Moon
- •In 1968, the Apollo 8 mission made history by sending the first men to orbit the Moon.
- •Christina Koch became the first woman to travel around the Moon during NASA's Artemis II mission in April 2026.
- •Early astronaut requirements excluded women by tying selection to military test-pilot experience, which women were barred from.
- •Human lunar exploration paused for decades after Apollo 17 in 1972, leaving no crewed missions to the Moon until Artemis II.
- •Koch's historic flight alongside diverse crew members marks a major milestone in space exploration, though no woman has yet walked on the lunar surface.
Key Questions Answered
Christina Koch became the first woman to travel around the Moon in April 2026 as part of NASA's Artemis II mission.
Early astronaut selection was tied to military test-pilot experience, and women were not permitted to become military test pilots in the United States at the time.
The Artemis II crew included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
