Victor Glover (astronaut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Captain
Victor Glover
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Glover in 2023
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| Born | April 30, 1976 Pomona, California, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, U.S. Navy |
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Time in space
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167 days, 6 hours, 29 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 21 (2013) |
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Total EVAs
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4 |
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Total EVA time
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26 hours, 7 minutes |
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Mission insignia
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Victor Jerome Glover Jr., born on April 30, 1976, is an amazing astronaut from NASA. He is also a United States Navy captain and a skilled test pilot. He was the pilot for a very important mission: the first regular flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).
Before becoming an astronaut, Glover flew F/A-18 jets for the U.S. Navy. He also graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. He was part of Expedition 64 on the ISS, where he helped manage the station's systems.
Captain Glover is also chosen to be the pilot for the Artemis II mission. This exciting flight is planned to travel around the Moon in 2026. If this mission goes as planned, he will be the first person of color to journey beyond Earth's close orbit.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Victor Jerome Glover Jr. was born in Pomona, California, on April 30, 1976. He finished Ontario High School in 1994. There, he was a talented athlete, playing quarterback and running back for his school's football team. He even won the Athlete of the Year Award in 1994!
Victor's dad, Victor Jerome Glover, helped him love science and engineering. His grandfather served in the Air Force during the time of the Korean War. He faced many challenges that made it hard for him to become a pilot.
Victor went to California Polytechnic State University. He earned a degree in general engineering in 1999. While in college, he was also a dedicated student-athlete. He wrestled and played football for the Cal Poly Mustangs.
Later, between 2007 and 2010, Victor earned three master's degrees! These advanced degrees were in subjects like Flight Test Engineering and Systems Engineering. He also studied space systems and legislative studies.
Victor is married to Dionna Odom Glover. They have four daughters.
Military Service and Flying
Victor Glover joined the United States Navy in 1999. He learned to fly at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. In 2001, he earned his wings as a naval aviator. He then trained to fly the powerful F/A-18C Hornet jet.
In 2003, he joined a squadron called VFA-34. With this group, he flew from the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. They supported military operations. In 2006, he was chosen to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. After graduating in 2007, he became a test pilot. This means he flew new aircraft to test them out.
Later, he was stationed in Japan with another squadron, VFA-195. They sailed on the USS George Washington to support operations in the Pacific Ocean. Before becoming an astronaut, he also worked in Washington, D.C.
Throughout his military career, Victor Glover flew for over 3,000 hours. He flew more than 40 different types of aircraft! He also landed on aircraft carriers over 400 times. His pilot nickname, or "callsign," is "Ike." It was given to him by a commander.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
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Glover and his crewmates inside the SpaceX Crew-1 capsule as they approached the ISS.
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In June 2013, Victor Glover was chosen to be part of NASA Astronaut Group 21. He completed his astronaut training in 2015. This was a big step towards his dream of space travel!
Living on the International Space Station
In August 2018, Victor was selected for a special mission. He would fly on the first regular crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. This mission was called USCV-1. He became a crew member for Expedition 64 and Expedition 65 on the International Space Station (ISS). He lived and worked there for over six months!
Victor Glover made history during this mission. He became the first African American astronaut to live on the ISS for a long-duration expedition. Other Black astronauts had visited the station before during Space Shuttle missions, but Victor was the first to stay as a full-time crew member. This was a very important moment for space exploration.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Resilience, launched on November 15, 2020. Victor flew with two other NASA astronauts, Michael S. Hopkins and Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi from Japan. They arrived at the space station on November 17. While he was on the ISS, Victor was also chosen for NASA's exciting Artemis program on December 9, 2020. This program aims to send humans back to the Moon!
Spacewalks and Important Work
Victor completed his first spacewalk on January 27, 2021. It lasted for more than six hours! He worked with astronaut Michael Hopkins to upgrade the Columbus module on the ISS. During his second spacewalk, also with Hopkins, Victor replaced a broken camera outside the station. For his third spacewalk, he teamed up with Kate Rubins. They started preparing the station's power supply for new solar panels.
On February 24, 2021, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had a video call with Victor while he was in space. They talked about spaceflight, seeing Earth from above, and preparing for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Journey to the Moon with Artemis II
On April 3, 2023, Victor Glover was announced as the pilot for the Artemis II mission. This mission is planned to fly around the Moon no earlier than March 6, 2026. He will be joined by NASA astronauts Gregory R. Wiseman and Christina Koch. Also on the crew is Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Images for kids
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LCDR Glover, 2013
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Glover in Node 1 on board the International Space Station
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Glover conducting his first EVA during ISS Expedition 64
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Glover mounting station battery modules in the steelwork of the S6 truss
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Victor reading blueprint information on an iPad inside the Quest Airlock, in prep for his spacewalk
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Glover and his crewmates in the US lab
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A smiling Glover poses next to a hatch in Node 1.
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Victor and Mike in Node 2
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Selfie in the Japanese Experiment Module
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In the Cupola
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Glover and the entire crew of Expedition 64 in Node 3 above the Cupola
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Christmas celebration
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Working on a desk containing a hydroponics plant experiment in Node 2
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US lab station machinery systems checking
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See also
In Spanish: Victor J. Glover para niños
