Top 15 Amazing Facts about Victor J. Glover

Originally published by Shelmith Njeru on December 2022. Edited by Charity K on January 2024.

Top 15 Amazing Facts about Victor J. Glover

Victor Jerome Glover is an African American Naval Aviator and NASA astronaut. He is the first black crew member of the SpaceX Crew-1, America’s second crewed orbital flight.

Born in April 1976, he was raised by his two parents in Pomona, California. Glover wanted to be a policeman like his father when he grew up. He admired his police uniform and the purpose behind the profession.

 However, Victor changed his career aspiration after seeing a shuttle launch on television. He was still in elementary school when he decided he wanted to be a pilot. His teacher also encouraged him to do engineering once he noticed he was good at Mathematics.

 Victor was an athlete in college, and the companionship and solidarity that came with it drew him into a military career. He studied engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) and joined the military as a test pilot.

 While at Cal Poly, Victor became a member of Phi Beta Sigma, a bonded Zeta Phi Beta Sorority organization. He completed basic helicopter training and got his wings of gold in 2001.

In 2012, Glover was selected as a Legislative fellowship in the Senate. In 2013, he was asked to join NASA as part of the 21^st NASA Astronauts class. He traveled to space in 2020 and was part of Expedition 64/65.

1. Glover Is An Award Winning Athlete

Victor was an active student at Ontario High School. He was a Division 1 athlete, playing quarterback and running back for the football team. He also took part in wrestling.

Before his graduation, he was named the Athlete of the Year. He graduated in 1994 and pursued a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering. He joined Cal Poly under a wrestling scholarship from his college.

2. He Has Three Master’s Degrees

Victor finished his undergraduate in 1999 and earned his Wings of Gold two years later.   He continued his studies at the Naval Postgraduate School and attained a Space Systems Certificate during his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Glover studied at Air University (California), where he earned a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering, graduating in 2007. He joined the Naval Postgraduate School, a United States Navy school, to do his second master’s program, Master of Science in System Engineering.

Glover did his third Master’s degree specializing in Military Operational Art and Science. He graduated from Air University (Alabama) in 2010. He also has a certificate in Legislative studies from Georgetown University, Washington D.C.

Learn about other black engineers and scientists here.

3. He Credits His Pursuit Of Becoming An Astronaut To NASA’s Deputy Administrator

In 2001, Victor attended a convention that featured shuttle commanders. Pam Melroy, the current Deputy administrator of NASA, was one of the astronauts who spoke at the event. At the time, Victor was in test pilot school, but Pam’s presentation set his focus fully on becoming a spaceman.

Melroy is a retired member of the Air Force and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. She and Eileen Collins are the only two women who have ever commanded a spaceship.

4. Victor Was One of Eight Successful Applicants For The 2013 NASA Astronaut Class

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover has been assigned to the second flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Photo By United States Navy – Wikimedia Common

Victor was working a full-time job in the Senate as its Legislative Fellow. He was among 6,100 candidates who had applied for the 2013 astronaut class. NASA said this was the second-largest number of applications they had ever received.

Glover and seven others were selected as potential astronaut trainees of Expedition 64. The intense two-year training took place in Johnson Space Centre, Houston.

5. He Lit Up An Audience When He Publicly Recited The Limerick He Wrote During His Application To NASA

On August 2020, the eight astronaut candidates were introduced to the public. In the NASA Johnson Space Centre interview, the astronauts were asked what was memorable about their written interview process. For Victor, the written essay that stood out for him was his limerick.

As part of the test, the applicants were asked to come up with an original tweet, limerick, or haiku. Glover’s limerick was inspired by the application process, which he says was physically draining.

Victor’s five-line poem gave insight into part of the requirements, aside from technical qualifications, that we looked at by the evaluating team. He recited the limerick cracking up the audience with his humorous short piece.

Read about ten unbelievable facts about the space center in Johnson Space Center here.

6. Victor Is the First African American In Space Crew 1

Expedition 64 Space Flight Awareness Poster. Photo By NASA Space Flight Awareness – Wikimedia Commons

When Victor was called to join the Artemis Team, he served as a Navy Legislative Fellow at the Senate. He was in disbelief after being chosen as part of the NASA team and shared that he literally had to pinch himself after being told he had made the cut.

Victor was overwhelmed with joy as well as self-doubt. He was excited to join fellow teammates in Houston and ultimately travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

7. Glover Lived In Space For Nearly Six Months

In 1992, Guion Bluford made history as the first African American launched into space. Glover was the fifteenth black astronaut to travel into ISS but was the first to spend the longest time in orbit.

Victor lived in space for nearly 24 weeks. The crew of seven set off on November 2020 and was the first operational commercial mission sent to ISS. Expedition 64 concluded on April 2021.

8. He Made Three Spacewalks During His Expedition On The Moon

NASA spacewalker and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Victor Glover works to ready the International Space station’s port-side truss structure for future solar array upgrades. Photo By NASA – Wikimedia Commons

Victor made his first spacewalk, also known as Extra Vehicular Activity, outside ISS in January 2021. He had been tasked as the station system flight engineer of Space X-Crew 1. His tasks included system upgrades and technical repairs.

Michael Hopkins and Glover handled the first operation to upgrade a module on ISS. It was Glover’s first time outside the station but Hopkin’s third, marking the 233^rd spacewalk in support of the ISS.

Glover’s second walk was also with Hopkins, with whom he installed the final adapter plate of the aging batteries. His third and last spacewalk was a solar installation project with Kate Rubins.

9. Victor Accomplished One Of The Hardest Astronaut Tasks

According to astronauts, an extravehicular activity (EVA) is one of the most physically demanding tasks. This is because it requires utmost attentiveness for a long period. The resistance from their suits also makes it difficult to move.

Victor’s three spacewalks lasted more than six hours, alternating between day and night every 45 minutes. This meant that he and his partner worked during hot and extremely bright light and cold and extreme darkness.

10. His Aerial View Of The Earth’s Atmosphere From Space Inspired Him To Be More Conservative Of His Environment

July 29, 2015 Africa and Europe from a Million Miles Away. Photo By NASA – Wikimedia Commons

During the six months spent in space, Victor saw the Earth from an aerial view, just like we see it on the plastic desk globes and world maps. The only difference was that he was actually in space!

In a video call with Kamala Harris, the United States Vice President, Victor expressed his enlightenment on how environmental practices were affecting the world in general.

He was surprised at the thinness of the atmosphere that covered the Earth. It encouraged him to be more protective of the environment and its deteriorating factors.

Read about Victor Glover and 29 other black people who changed the world here.

11. Victor has a Different Perspective on Earth

During his time in space, Victor was able to witness the planet’s fragility firsthand. This inspired him to advocate for environmental protection and global cooperation. He has shared with his fans that he sees space exploration as a way to unite humanity and address challenges on a global scale. Victor became a vocal advocate for environmental protection and he strongly urges for collective action to address climate change.

12. He is Set to be The First Black Astronaut on the Moon

Kennedy Space Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 2024, it was announced that Victor is part of the Artemis II mission. He will be joined by fellow astronauts Christina Koch and Gregory R. Wiseman as well as the Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This is the ultimate goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon. His background as a Navy pilot and NASA astronaut makes him well-equipped for the mission.

13. Victor has a Hidden Artistic Talent

He has shared that during his free time, he plays the saxophone. He even treats his fellow astronauts to a live improvisation while floating in the International Space Station’s Cupola Module. Victor enjoys sculpting and creating art. He even used spaceflight material to craft sculptures during his time on the ISS. 

14.  He was an Aquanaut for 10 Days

Before he went to space, Victor spent 10 days living underwater in an Aquarius underwater habitat as part of NASA’s NEEMO mission. It should be noted that NEEMO missions are conducted to test spacewalk techniques and equipment for future space missions. The experience provided valuable training for the isolation aspects of space travel.

15. Victor has a Unique Call Sign

NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

His call sign is “Ichi” which is a Japanese word for One. According to NASA, his call sign comes from his time as a naval aviator and test pilot. Some people have shared that his call sign from his initial F/A-18 pilot training days. His callsign was confirmed during the NASA’s Crew-1 Mission Overview.