NC State to celebrate Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch

NC State said this week it will host a two-day homecoming celebration for NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch later this month, bringing the Artemis II crew member back to the Raleigh campus where she earned three degrees. The university’s August 4 announcement said Koch will visit August 24-25 as part of an event called “Around the Moon and Pack Again.” WUNC reported on August 5 that the campus celebration will honor Koch and the Artemis II mission. NASA says Artemis II launched on April 1 and splashed down on April 10 after a 9-day, 1-hour, 32-minute crewed lunar flyby, the first such mission in more than 50 years. ### When is NC State bringing Koch back to campus? NC State said Koch is coming home on August 24-25 for a university celebration centered on her Artemis II mission. The school said NASA asked NC State to serve as the anchor site for her North Carolina visit. WUNC reported the celebration would take place in late August, and NC State’s event page supplied the specific dates. (news.ncsu.edu) The university has also posted a public event page and a Spotify playlist tied to the homecoming. ### Why is Koch such a central figure for NC State? Christina Hammock Koch is a three-time NC State graduate, with degrees in electrical engineering and physics, according to NC State. (news.ncsu.edu) The university said she earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree there before joining NASA. April 1 was already a milestone for the school before the homecoming plans were announced. (wunc.org) NC State said ahead of launch that Koch was one of its most prominent alumni to fly beyond Earth orbit, and it tracked her path from campus to the Artemis II crew. ### What did Artemis II accomplish? NASA says Artemis II was the first crewed flight of its deep-space human exploration system and the first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than five decades. (mae.ncsu.edu) The mission launched four astronauts aboard Orion from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and returned them to Earth about 10 days later. NASA identified the crew as Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (news.ncsu.edu) During the mission, the crew traveled around the moon and back as part of a test flight meant to support later lunar missions. ### What records or milestones did Koch reach on the flight? NC State said Koch became the first woman to leave low Earth orbit and the first woman to travel to and around the moon on Artemis II. (nasa.gov) The university described those achievements in its August 4 announcement for the campus celebration. NASA’s mission materials describe Koch as the Artemis II mission specialist and place her among the four astronauts who completed the lunar flyby in April. (svs.gsfc.nasa.gov) The agency’s post-flight coverage called the flyby historic. ### How has NC State marked the mission so far? NC State students gathered in April to celebrate the completion of Artemis II and Koch’s return, according to a university roundup published April 13. (news.ncsu.edu) The school has also highlighted Koch repeatedly in campus news coverage tied to launch week and the mission’s end. (nasa.gov) March and April coverage from WUNC and NC State showed the mission had already become a point of pride in North Carolina before the new homecoming announcement. WUNC interviewed Koch in March, and NC State published multiple profiles tied to the launch. (news.ncsu.edu) ### What comes next in August? August 24-25 are the dates NC State has posted for Koch’s return visit, and the university said more information is available through its “Around the Moon and Pack Again” page. WUNC’s August 5 report said the campus event will celebrate Koch’s accomplishments and the Artemis II mission. (news.ncsu.edu) (wunc.org)