NASA has named the 18 astronauts B次元官网网址� half of them women B次元官网网址� who will train for its Artemis moon-landing program.

The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this elite group.

Vice-President Mike Pence introduced the astronauts Wednesday at the close of his final meeting as chairman of the National Space Council. The announcement was made at FloridaB次元官网网址檚 Kennedy Space Center, beneath one of only three remaining Saturn V moon rockets from the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program.

Pence noted that the last of the 12 men to walk on the moon, the late Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan, wanted nothing more than to remove B次元官网网址渓astB次元官网网址� from his title. CernanB次元官网网址檚 final lunar footsteps were on Dec. 14, 1972.

B次元官网网址淗e spent the rest of his natural life advocating for America to go back to the moon, and we are going to honour Gene CernanB次元官网网址檚 memory,B次元官网网址� Pence told the small crowd, seated several feet apart from one another.

Five of the astronauts B次元官网网址� the only ones in attendance B次元官网网址� walked onto the stage, waving and wearing masks.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stressed there would be more astronauts joining the group. NASA has 47 active astronauts.

The space agency is aiming for a moon landing by 2024, although the chances of that happening are growing increasingly dim. The upcoming change in administration also adds uncertainty.

Half of the NASA astronauts have spaceflight experience. Two are at the International Space Station right now: Kate Rubins and Victor Glover.

The two astronauts who performed the worldB次元官网网址檚 first all-female spacewalk last year made the cut: Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a fairly young group, with most in their 30s or 40s. The oldest is 55, the youngest 32. Only two B次元官网网址� Joe Acaba and Stephanie Wilson B次元官网网址� flew on NASAB次元官网网址檚 old space shuttles.

The other experienced members on the list include Kjell Lindgren, Anne McClain and Scott Tingle, all former space station residents.

Among those yet to rocket into space: Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Woody Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli, Frank Rubio and Jessica Watkins.

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press

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