Welcome to the Evolving Folks Project’s “Evolved Man of the Week” profile. Each week, we will highlight an individual who embodies what it means to be an evolved person, famous and non-famous alike. The world needs to know their stories and deeds. This week’s honor goes to NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy captain Victor Glover.
Victor Glover was born on April 30, 1976, in Pomona, California. He finished high school in Ontario in 1994. While there, he played quarterback and running back for the Jaguars football team and was named the school’s Athlete of the Year. After earning a degree in general engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1999, he went on to complete several advanced degrees, including a Master of Science in flight test engineering (USAF TPS) and a Master of Science in military operational art. During his time at Cal Poly, he joined Phi Beta Sigma. He also became part of the Mustangs wrestling team after finishing sixth at the CIF State Championship Meet. In 1996, he played defensive back for the Cal Poly football team and wore number 23. He is married to Dionna Odom Glover and has four daughters.
Building on these achievements, Glover became a naval aviator in the United States Navy, where he flew F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets. During his military career, Glover logged over 3,000 flight hours and made more than 400 carrier landings.
In 2020, Glover piloted the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS). He became the first Black astronaut to serve as a long-duration crew member on the ISS, spending 168 days in space and completing four spacewalks during that mission.
Then, in 2026, he served as the pilot for Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission near the Moon since 1972. This nearly 10-day trip set a new distance record as the crew traveled farther from Earth than anyone before.
This historic mission also featured a diverse team. Glover was part of a four-person crew, marking a new era in space exploration. The Artemis II team included Commander Reid Wiseman (NASA), Pilot Victor Glover (NASA), Mission Specialist Christina Koch (NASA), and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency).
Victor Glover’s journey from a young athlete in California, through his education and military achievements, to becoming a record-setting NASA astronaut, demonstrates his dedication and the progress in space exploration. His role on Artemis II marks an important step toward a lasting human presence on the Moon and future missions to Mars. Today, we honor astronaut Victor Glover as our Evolved Man of the Week.
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