Ghana plans to honor NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, the first woman to travel around the moon, in recognition of her academic ties to the country and her public embrace of that connection, government officials said.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the decision follows Koch’s studies at the University of Ghana and her recent tribute to the country during the Artemis II space mission.
“I can confirm that the government of Ghana has conveyed, through diplomatic channels, its intention for President John Dramani Mahama to, at a mutually agreed time, on behalf of the people of Ghana, honor the only female astronaut on the Artemis II mission, Christina Hammock Koch,” Ablakwa said. “She studied at the University of Ghana and proudly celebrates her association with Ghana.”
Koch, one of four NASA astronauts selected for the Artemis II mission and the only woman on the crew, hoisted the Ghanaian flag aboard the spacecraft during the lunar flyby as a gesture of gratitude toward the West African nation.
President Mahama and the University of Ghana praised Koch for the act. In a statement, Mahama described the gesture as “a deeply touching moment for every Ghanaian.”
“It is a testament to the fact that no matter how far one travels, even into the vastness of space, the friendships made and the lessons learned stay with you,” he added.
The University of Ghana confirmed that Koch participated in an academic exchange program at the institution during the 1999–2000 academic year. University officials said her achievement has renewed interest in expanding the school’s science and engineering offerings, with long-term plans to introduce space science–related programs.
Koch was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013. But beyond becoming the first woman to journey around the moon, she previously took part in the first all-female spacewalk and set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 consecutive days in space.
After returning from that mission and before her assignment to Artemis II, Koch served as branch chief for the Assigned Crew Branch in NASA’s Astronaut Office and completed a rotation as assistant for technical integration for the center director at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the agency said.
The Artemis II crew made up of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, has returned to earth and reunited with their families.
