Voices of Freedom: Victor Glover

Highlighting Juneteenth

Victor Glover

(b. 1976)

Pilot, Astronaut

“You don't pass up a ride to space.”

Victor Glover was born in Pomona, California. His mother, Cynthia, is a bookkeeper and his father a police officer.

Glover graduated from high school in 1994, where he was an outstanding athlete in both football and track. He attended California Polytechnic State University on a wrestling scholarship, graduating with a degree in general engineering in 1999. In the first decade of this century, he earned masters degrees in engineering from three different institutions.

In 1999, Glover was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy. He earned his wings as a naval aviator in 2001, and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2006, he was selected for the Air Force Test Pilot School, graduating the following year. That same year, he did developmental testing at the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, California. The following years saw a number of assignments, including serving on the personal staff of Senator John McCain. Glover’s attitude and skill earned him the call-sign of “Ike” for “I Know Everything.”

In 2013, Glover was selected as an astronaut, and completed astronaut training in 2015. In 2018, he piloted the first operational flight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. He remained on the ISS for the next six months, and while there made several extended spacewalks to repair and upgrade ISS equipment.

In April 2026, Glover piloted the Artemis II mission, the first manned space flight to Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. On that flight, Glover and his Artemis crewmates set a new altitude record, having traveled farther from the Earth than any other humans. Their photographs of the Earth setting behind the Moon have been seen around the world.

Glover is married, and the father of four daughters. He is in training for future missions as a NASA astronaut.