Victor Glover

Victor Jerome Glover Jr. is a NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy test pilot who was the first Black crew member on a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station, serving as pilot of SpaceX Crew-1 from November 2020 to May 2021. He spent 168 days in space and conducted four spacewalks, becoming only the third Black astronaut to conduct a spacewalk in NASA's history.

Born in Pomona, California, in 1976, Glover earned his bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University, multiple master's degrees from Air University, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Air War College, and was selected by NASA for its 2013 astronaut class. Before becoming an astronaut, he flew over 3,000 hours in more than 40 aircraft and served as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate.

Glover's ISS mission was notable not only for its historic nature but for his openness about the experience — he shared videos and reflections from space that brought the wonder of space exploration to a broad audience. In 2023, he was selected as pilot for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. When Artemis II launches, Glover will become the first Black astronaut to fly beyond low Earth orbit — extending Mae Jemison's legacy into the cosmos.