Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, Jr. on April 11, 2026 after his historic 10-day mission around the moon. (Photo by Danielle Villasana/Getty Images) 
By Bridgette Bartlett Royall ·Updated April 13, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… One giant leap for was made for the entire human race last week. And a Black man lead the team who did it.
On April 1, 2026, Victor Glover, Jr. launched into space, becoming one of four people to travel farther from Earth than any human being in history as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis II mission around the moon. Glover and his crewmates launched from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island (approximately 30 miles east of Orlando, Florida). They were the first crewed mission to the lunar (moon’s) vicinity since 1972. Viewers across the globe (from housewives in Brooklyn, NY to schoolchildren in Britain) followed the exciting journey any and every way they could. The mission reportedly dominated Google search traffic for a week, and videos related to Artemis II gathered millions of views.
To know the challenges that our people have faced and the hurdles overcome by talented and brilliant minds of those like Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, also known as the Hidden Figures, makes this moment even more important. In addition, Black people are still underrepresented globally in leadership STEM roles and our children lag in science and math proficiency compared to their Asian and White peers. Negative societal stereotypes about our capability in these fields can lead to diminished engagement and self-efficacy with young people. So, the 49-year-old’s mere presence at NASA is huge for our community. It is hard to be what you cannot see.
So, let’s be abundantly clear: We are happy and proud of all four members of this dedicated and diligent crew. But to witness a Black man was in the mix and furthermore serving as pilot of the groundbreaking mission gave us a different type of pride and Black joy. Job well done, brother. Job well done!
We wanted to learn more about the pilot astronaut and figured you did too. So, here are seven interesting facts about Victor Glover, Jr. – the first Black astronaut to fly to deep space.
His parents set positive examples for him.Glover’s mother made a career as a bookkeeper, and his father is a retired police officer. When asked about his son’s journey prior to lift-off, Glover, Sr. responded, “I guarantee you that he is laser-focused on that mission and accomplishing their goals.”
He has quite a bit of formal education.Glover completed his undergraduate studies at California Polytechnic State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering in 1999. He also has three master’s degrees! He received a Master of Science in flight test engineering from the Air University of the United States Air Force, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University. (Whew.)
He and his wife are an example of Black love.He’s a husband and a dad. Yes, Glover has been married to his lovely wife, Dionna Odom Glover, for more than two decades. They met while Victor was in undergrad. The couple share four beautiful daughters.
Victor and his wife Dionna in 2023. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) He is a fan of spoken word with a message.Reportedly,Glover listens to Whitey on the Moon by Gil Scott-Heron regularly. Scott-Heron is often credited with being a forefather of hip-hop. Accompanied by conga drums, the Scott-Heron’s protest poetry number questions the ability of the government to invent in space exploration at a time when many U.S. citizens couldn’t afford decent health care. Glover listening to it speaks volumes.
He is a member of the Divine 9.Glover is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. His frat brothers include inventor and scientist George Washington Carver and civil rights activist John Lewis.
He was an athlete.His high school 1994 high school graduating class named him Athlete of the Year. He played football positions quarterback and running back.While in college he also played football and competed in wrestling.
He has a way with words.Glover poetically captured a surreal moment during the mission when he told Earthbound viewers in a transmission from space, “You look beautiful. And from up here you also look like one thing; Homo sapiens is all of us. No matter where you’re from or what you look like — we’re all one people.”
IN SPACE – APRIL 07: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by NASA, The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon’s gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth’s) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)The post Who Is Victor Glover, Jr.? 7 Things To Know About The First Black Man To Go Into Deep Space appeared first on Essence.