Victor Glover
A naval aviator turned astronaut who broke barriers as the first Black crew member to live on the ISS and later flew around the Moon.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American astronaut·Birthday: April 30·Generation X
Biography
Victor Glover's path to the stars was carved through the skies. A California native, he became a naval aviator, flying F/A-18s and graduating from the elite U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, honing the precise skills NASA seeks. Selected as an astronaut in 2013, his first spaceflight was historic: he piloted the SpaceX Crew Dragon's first fully operational mission to the International Space Station in 2020. During his six-month Expedition 64 stay, he became the first Black American to serve as a long-duration crew member on the ISS, conducting spacewalks and scientific research. His career reached another zenith when he was chosen as the pilot for Artemis II, making him one of the first humans to travel to lunar vicinity in over half a century.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Victor was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Victor Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Victor's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Piloted the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, the first operational crewed flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS.
- Served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station's Expedition 64 for nearly six months.
- Selected as the pilot for NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight to the Moon since 1972.
Did You Know?
He is a father of four daughters.
He completed his first spacewalk on January 27, 2021.
He earned a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering from Air University.
“I am a test pilot. That’s what I do. I fly airplanes, and I try to make them better.”
