NC State alum Christina Koch poised to make history with Artemis II mission
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- In just more than 24 hours, NC State alum Christina Koch is expected to make history by becoming the first woman to travel around the moon and journey farther into space than any woman.
Long before she became a record-setting astronaut, Koch stood out on NC State's campus. Her former professors and undergraduate advisor say her drive was unmistakable.
"Before I met her, I was told there was this person in the computing class, and we just can't get her out," said Dr. Stephen Reynolds, Koch's former undergraduate college advisor. "She gets started on a project, and she just goes nuts."
Reynolds helped guide Koch through her physics coursework and still keeps a copy of the recommendation letter he wrote for her in 1999.
She's just fearless and willing to take on any challenge.- Dr. John Blondin, Christina Koch's former physics professor
"At that time, it was absolutely clear to me. She had a 4.0 average, and that was the least interesting thing about her," he said. "She had a powerful drive and desire to go to space. Energetic, accomplished, hardworking."
Koch already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
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On Wednesday, she is set to add another milestone as part of NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey around the moon in more than 50 years.
"That is just phenomenal," Reynolds added.
Her achievements continue to inspire students who walk the corridors of NC State's Riddick Hall, where many still take the same classes Koch once did.
"All they have to do is mention that she's a product of this. The same classes, the same instructors, the same programs they're going through now," Reynolds said. He also said Koch will visit the department from time to time to speak to students and reconnect with faculty.
If successful, the 10-day Artemis II mission will help NASA test deep-space capabilities and lay the groundwork for future lunar surface exploration and potentially a mission to Mars.
"The sky may not be the limit. She's going to go beyond the sky," said Reynolds.
Koch's former physics professor, Dr. John Blondin, spoke to ABC11 inside his Riddick Hall office and said her latest milestone reflects the same fearlessness she showed as a student.
"The word 'wow' comes to mind. She's just fearless and willing to take on any challenge," said Blondin.
The four-person Artemis II crew is scheduled to launch at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"She's the kind of person who wants to push the envelope," Blondin said. "North Carolina is proud of her. She's really set an example of what kids from North Carolina can do."
NC State will host an Artemis II watch party on Wednesday evening inside the Talley Student Union as the university community gathers to cheer on one of its most accomplished alumni.
