Victor J. Glover Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Victor J. Glover

• Victor J. Glover is an American astronaut, Navy officer, and former senator. He served as a flight engineer on SpaceX Crew-1, the first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS). A captain and a naval aviator, Glover has served as a test pilot of the warfare aircrafts F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and EA‐18G Growler. In 2023, Glover was assigned as the pilot of the crew for the Artemis 2 flight, the first crewed spacecraft which would travel to the Moon in November 2024, since Apollo 17 in 1972. Glover will be the first Black astronaut ever to be sent on a lunar mission. ^[9]INSIDER

• He grew up in Pomona, California, where his family relocated in 1968 from Jackson.

• The spark to fly into space in Victor began as a child, watching a space shuttle launch. In an interview, while talking about it, Victor said,
  

  When I was a kid, you know, I saw the space shuttle go up, and I wanted to fly the space shuttle. But I also wanted to be a stuntman, a policeman like my father, president.”

• In his school days, he was good at mathematics.

• Victor was a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at California Polytechnic State University. A sports enthusiast, Victor played American football (quarterback and running back) for the Jaguars team. He was also a part of his school’s wrestling team. In 1994, Victor received the Athlete of the Year award in his college.

• While studying at Cal Poly, Victor received the Service to the Community Award and community service notation on his transcripts.

• A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School, Victor served as the Regimental Commander of the school. While studying at the school, he received the Onizuka Prop Wash Award.

• In 1999, Victor Glover was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as an Ensign. Soon, he began his preflight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. On the completion of his advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas, Victor Glover earned his gold wings in 2001.
  

  Lieutenant Commander Victor J. Glover, United States Navy

• In 2002, Victor received his training on the F/A-18C Hornet from the Marine Fleet Replacement Squadron, VMFAT‐101, in Miramar, San Diego, California. He completed his training in 2003.

• Following the completion of his training, Glover was assigned to the Blue Blasters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA‐34, based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.

• He then completed his final deployment of the USS John F. Kennedy (CV‐67) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• In June 2006, Glover was selected as United States Navy’s exchange pilot to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School. Victor flew around 30 aircraft in the U.S. and Italy during the course that extended to one year.
  

  Commander Victor J. Glover Jr. with cadets at the Cadet Flight Training Ceremony held in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center on campus.

• In June 2007, Victor was deputed as a test pilot and began his developmental test tour with the Dust Devils of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX‐31 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. As a test pilot, he operated various weapons systems on the F/A ‐ 18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA‐18G Growler.

• After receiving his master’s degree in Systems Engineering from NPS, Victor was deployed at Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

• In 2011, Glover served as a Department Head at Dambusters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA‐195, in Atsugi, Japan.

• Subsequently, Glover embarked on the USS George Washington in support of maritime operations in the Western Pacific Ocean.

• Victor has accumulated 3000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft during his military career. He has also completed over 400 carrier arrested landings and 24 combat missions.

• One of his first commanding officers gave him the call sign ‘Ike,’ which stands for ‘I know everything.’

• In November 2012, Victor attended the Navy Legislative Fellowship Program through which he became a legislative fellow of the United States Senate.

• He supported McCain’s defense and foreign relations policy and oversight while serving as the personal staff of the Honorable John McCain.

• In July 2013, while Glover was serving as a senator, Victor was introduced as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class.

• After being inducted into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Glover received Astronaut Candidate Training which consisted of scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

• In August 2018, Victor Glover was assigned to SpaceX Crew-1, the first operational flight, and the second crewed flight overall, of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for Expedition 64 of NASA. Glover was announced as the pilot and second-in commander of the crew.
  

  The SpaceX Crew-1 members, from left, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi

• On November 15, 2023, Victor Glover, along with two NASA astronauts Michael S. Hopkins and Shannon Walker and one astronaut from Japan Soichi Noguchi were launched into space through the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named Resilience. It was Victor’s first journey into space. The crew landed on the space station on November 17.
  

  Astronaut Victor Glover during his Extravehicular Activity training with Doug Wheelock

• While serving at the space station, Victor, on December 9, 2020, was announced as a crewmember of NASA’s Artemis program. The Artemis program is a robotic and human Moon exploration program designed to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time after the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. It is a combined effort of United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

• Glover’s first spacewalk, lasting for around 6 hours, took place on January 27, 2021. Paired with Hopkins for the spacewalk, Glover worked to upgrade the Columbus module.
  

  Victor J. Glover conducting his first space walk during expedition 64

• He carried out his second spacewalk on February 1, 2021. Teaming again with Hopkins, Glover installed a European science platform and also worked on repairing a long series of batteries outside the International Space Station.
  

  Victor J. Glover pictured during his second space walk while he was mounting station battery modules outside the space station

•  Pairing with Kate Rubins for his third spacewalk, Glover worked to upgrade the station power supply with hardware. They also prepared for upcoming solar array upgrades by assembling and installing modification kits. The spacewalk lasted for around 6 hours and 56 minutes.

• On February 24, 2021, Victor recorded a video call in the space station that he received from Vice President Kamala Harris. According to a media source,
  

  Their conversation ranged from the legacy of human spaceflight to observing Earth from the vantage of the space station, Glover’s history-making stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, and preparing for missions from the Moon to Mars.”

• On 17 April 2021, Soyuz MS-17 spaceflight departed from the space station, marking an end to Expedition 64. However, SpaceX Crew-1 remained at the space station for Expedition 65. During the expedition, Victor served as the flight engineer.

• Having served at the space station for more than 6 months, Victor is the first person of colour to live as a crew member on the international space station for a longer duration.

• In April 2021, Crew Dragon endeavor carrying SpaceX Crew-2 arrived at the space station to replace Crew Dragon Resilience for the remaining Expedition 65. On May 2, 2021, SpaceX Crew-1 departed from the space station for Earth.

• While highlighting the work of Victor J. Glover, The New York Times, once wrote,
  

  Mr. Glover’s achievement is notable for NASA, which has worked to spotlight the “hidden figures” in its history, but has so far sent only 14 Black Americans to space out of a total of more than 300 NASA astronauts. He will not be the first Black astronaut aboard the station. But those who preceded him from NASA were members of Space Shuttle crews during the station’s construction and only made brief stays on the outpost.”

• On April 3, 2023, NASA assigned Victor as the pilot of the crew for its next lunar expedition Artemis II. The other members of the crew include NASA astronauts Gregory R. Wiseman, Christina Hammock Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The Artemis II flight is expected to circle the moon in November 2024. The project, if carried out successfully, Victor would be the first black astronaut to journey into lunar orbit.
  

  NASA Artemis II Moon Mission crew

• In April 2023, Victor and other crew members of Artemis II were invited to the American talk shows The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and The Today Show.
  

  The four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission on The Today Show

• Victor is well-versed in two languages English and French.

• He is an alumnus of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA). He is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a lifetime member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, National Society of Black Engineers, International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and Tailhook Association.

• In an interview, Victor revealed that he had failed an engineering course and it was his professor Jim LoCascio, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering, who motivated him to do better. He said,
  

  He said to me, ‘You’ve got to put in the work. I’ll help you, but you’ve got to put in the work.’ That right there changed the way I thought of college,”

• Glover is an advocate for youths traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

• Victor is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the California Polytechnic College of Engineering.

• In an interview, Glover revealed that he wanted to become a Djembe drummer.

• Glover is a mentor for Ever Forward (Siempre Adelante).

• Victor has stayed at the international space station for a total of 167 days 6 hours and 29 minutes. While serving at the space station, Victor made 4 spacewalks that lasted for 26 hours and 6 minutes.