Space enthusiasts have declared astronaut Christina Koch their new crush after a picture of her muscular arm went viral this week.
Koch is part of NASA’s ongoing Artemis II expedition alongside her colleagues Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen.
The mission, launched on April 1, marks the return of humans to the lunar vicinity for the first time since 1972’s Apollo 17 journey.
Highlights
- Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch’s toned arm had netizens swooning and calling her their new crush.
- The photo followed a similar reaction around pilot Victor Glover, who accidentally appeared bathing on a live space camera.
- The lighthearted moments came after the mission faced a major issue shortly after launch.
Netizens have reacted enthusiastically to Koch’s photo, with one commenting, “She’s ripped,” and another adding, “Thirst traps from space. What an age we live in.”
Social media swooned over Christina Koch’s photo from space
Image credits: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
The picture in question showed Koch donning half-sleeved NASA gear and holding a Nikon camera as she attempted to capture her surroundings from the spacecraft, Orion.
Her bulked-up arm was documented in a screenshot during a livestream of the mission and shared online by an X user named AstrasDoctor.
Comments under the post were nothing but positive.
Image credits: NASA
“I have nothing appropriate to say,” one said, while another noted, “She doesn’t skip arm day.”
“That woman is my crush,” a third remarked.
“My new fav pic EVER,” declared a fourth.
Image credits: NASA
“This picture of Christina Koch convinced me to do push-ups every day,” wrote a fifth.
The sentiment was echoed by the next, who demanded, “Christina, drop your gym routine.”
“Absolute build,” a separate user commented.
NASA shared another image of Christina Koch, taken just after her workout, continuing the buzz
Image credits: RebelTransbian
Image credits: NASA
“This latest photo from our NASA Artemis II mission shows @Astro_Christina right after her workout as she prepares for tomorrow’s lunar flyby,” the US space agency captioned the picture.
Comments under the post labeled Koch “Diva,” “Legend,” and “Iconic.”
Koch’s impressive figure comes as no surprise, as her NASA bio provides substantial information about her athletic hobbies.
The astronaut, a mission specialist responsible for testing critical life support, navigation, and communications systems for Artemis II, enjoys surfing, rock climbing, running, backpacking, and yoga.
NASA made sure its astronauts stayed active in space by installing a flywheel in the spacecraft.
Image credits: NASA
The device comes with a simple cable-based mechanism that supports exercises such as rowing and resistance movements like squats and deadlifts.
Koch’s other interests include community service, photography, and travel.
Before Koch, astronaut Victor Glover garnered similar reactions from viewers after taking a shower in space
Image credits: Getty/Joe Raedle
After his workout on April 3, Victor Glover, the pilot for the Artemis II mission, suddenly took off his shirt in full view of a live camera feed.
He proceeded to take a towel bath as some of his fellow astronauts wrapped lunch in the background.
Image credits: VideoFromSpace
Mission controller Christina Birch cut the live feed of Glover’s personal moment, telling the crew, “Courtesy call, not knowing your preference, we did have a video of Victor, which we have stopped from going out.”
This informed viewers that Glover wasn’t supposed to be taking an on-camera bath.
Not caring about the detail, though, one of them commented, “OMG, please let him exercise a lot.”
“One rep for a man, a whole set for mankind,” another wrote.
A third joked that he was too attractive for a shirt before pleading, “Ladies, please, he’s a married man,” then adding with a wink emoji, “But I understand.”
Image credits: WH_NursingStaff
Image credits: astrovicglover
Reid Wiseman, the commander of the spacecraft, told mission control that the crew does not mind Victor’s video being public, but stated he understood if it needed to be restricted.
Glover, notably, is a US Navy captain who made history by becoming the first Black man to fly around the Moon.
The photos of the crew came after the mission faced a major problem right after its launch
Minutes after Artemis II took off earlier this month, astronauts told mission control the spacecraft’s toilet warning light was on.
“The toilet fan is reported to be jammed,” NASA spokesperson Gary Jordan noted during the live mission commentary.
“Now the ground teams are coming up with instructions on how to get into the fan and clear that area to revive the toilet for the mission,” he added.
Image credits: MmisterNobody
Norm Knight, NASA’s director of flight operations, then explained that the malfunction was a result of a controller issue.
It was then confirmed that the toilet could still be used to pass stool, but not for liquid excretion.
Moments later, Koch managed to repair the high-tech toilet with the help of mission control.
Netizens did not hold back from commenting on the mishap, with one writing, “NASA made astronauts test human bladder endurance.”
A second added, “They conquered space but couldn’t manage a running bathroom.”
“One toilet. One mission. Big problem,” a third jested.
"We have an astronaut celebrity," a netizen said about Christina
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