SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - As anticipation builds surrounding the return of Artemis II to Earth, the pilot instrumental in the reentry credits his time at MCAS Miramar as shaping his astronaut journey.
Artemis II pilot and Navy Capt. Victor Glover boasts a long Navy career that included a year stationed at MCAS Miramar in 2002 as a test pilot flying F-A 18 Hornets. Glover has credited that experience as ‘very relevant’ to him becoming an astronaut.
Jim Kidrick, president of the San Diego Air and Space Museum and a former Navy pilot, said it is no surprise that Glover points to his Miramar experience as formative.
"If he didn't, I'd be disappointed in him," Kidrick said. "For him, that spacecraft is an airplane, a high-performance airplane… This is a test pilot’s mission extraordinaire. This is everything about testing that Orion capsule in every way they can," Kidrick said.
Kidrick believes piloting the Orion draws directly on Glover's skillset as a test pilot, from mental checklists and diagnosing issues quickly to working under pressure.
"Very methodical, he will step his way through procedure. He is used to checklists, communicating with resources such as mission control," Kidrick said. "You slow everything down, so you don’t make mistakes. During those stressful situations, he can’t make any mistakes.”
As Artemis makes its reentry, Glover will play a key role involving a symphony of elements, from guidance and navigation to the propulsion systems.
"Communicating as he can, where we are, here’s what we see in Orion. It's critical. He sees needs to be what they’re seeing," Kidrick said. "Working with mission control to make sure everything's right. That they're on course, that they will hit the right point in the water, that the rescue will go well. That’s his charter, his responsibility. Because of that military training, that makes him a high-performance performer, to ensure absolute safety for the crew.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
