The astronauts heading to the moon are in top shape. Recently, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency completed the “Bobby and Pete Challenge.” They nailed 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups in under 10 minutes. This fitness feat was shared in a fun video by NASA on social media.
The challenge got its name from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who promoted it in a viral video. In that clip, Kennedy encouraged Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy to take on the challenge. Excitedly, Duffy invited the Artemis 2 crew to join in.
In the video, commander Reid Wiseman enthusiastically declares, “Secretary Duffy, your Artemis 2 crew accepts the challenge.” The astronauts push through their workout, clearly putting in hard effort. They even challenge other astronauts currently on the International Space Station (ISS) to beat their times.
Artemis 2 will be NASA’s next moon mission, with a launch window between February and April of 2026. While they won’t be landing on the moon, they will fly around it. This follows Artemis 1, which successfully sent an uncrewed Orion capsule to lunar orbit in November 2022.
Fitness isn’t just for fun. It plays a crucial role in astronaut training. Being in shape helps the astronauts handle the rigors of space travel, both on Earth and in orbit. Astronauts on the ISS have to exercise daily to counteract muscle and bone loss from living in microgravity.
Interestingly, according to NASA, astronauts can lose 1% to 2% of bone mass per month in space. This means maintaining health and strength is vital, not just for lunar missions, but also for future explorations to Mars and beyond.
For more details on NASA’s efforts and the Artemis program, you can check their official updates on NASA’s website.