Victor Glover says moon mission is ‘human history,’ not a racial milestone
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NASA astronaut Victor Glover drew praise on social media after saying his participation in the Artemis II mission should be seen as part of “human history” and not a racial turning point; conservatives distributed clips of the crew’s remarks before their launch on Wednesday.
The remarks came during a March 29 press event ahead of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which plans to return astronauts to lunar orbit for the first time in decades. The mission was noted for its historic crew, which included the first woman and first Black astronaut assigned to a lunar mission.
While Glover acknowledged the importance of representation, he pointed to a broader desire beyond that.
“I’m experiencing the dilemma of happiness between a young woman looking after Christina [Koch] and just embody his passion or his interests… and have those young, Brown boys and girls look at me and say, ‘Hey, he looks like me and what is he doing?’ can say. And that’s great,” he said.
“I love that, but I also hope that we move in the other direction so that one day we don’t have to talk about these firsts — one day, it’s just — listen to this — it’s human history,” he continued. “This is about human history. This is the story of humanity — not Black history, not women’s history — but it becomes human history.”
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Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover attend a welcome ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 27, 2026, ahead of the launch of the Artemis II mission scheduled for April 1, 2026. (Miguel J. Rodríguez Carrillo/AFP)
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Clips of Glover’s comments spread across social media, prompting reposts from conservative influencers like podcaster Brandon Tatum, OutKick host Riley Gaines, and “Officer Lew,” who praised his emphasis on shared human achievement over identity-based milestones.
“I’m a new fan of this guy. Thank you!!” Tatum said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“When even the pioneers reject the identity game, you know it’s time to move on,” Lew said.
Artemis II was launched off the coast of Florida on April 1, 2026. (Credit: NASA)
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Glover’s perspective was in line with a broader theme also voiced by team members Experts Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen during the same call.
“If there’s anything to celebrate, it’s that we’re in a time where everyone is working equally hard to realize this dream,” Koch said. he said.
Hansen added: “This is a recognition that anyone who can make a meaningful contribution and come forward can be part of this mission.”
Glover also spoke about the personal significance of launch day, describing a tightly scheduled routine leading up to takeoff.
From left, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch attend a media conference outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (NASA/Keegan Barber)
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“We wake up about eight hours before launch… we don’t have much time for personal rituals,” he said.
“Before I fly, I usually say a very short prayer… and then I try to send my family a note telling them I love them.”
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Describing the final hours before takeoff, Glover emphasized how tightly structured launch day was, leaving little room for personal routines but making room for a meaningful moment with family.
“Our families are outside the building when we go out… I can tell them I love them instead of sending them a text message.”
