HOUSTON — The Artemis II crew — NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — makes their first public appearance since returning from space.
The Orion spacecraft touched down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, concluding the historic mission that broke the record for the farthest manned spaceflight in history on its journey around the moon.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaac described it as the “opening chapter” for America’s return to the Moon, as he welcomed the Artemis 2 crew home after their historic 10-day mission.
“Welcome home, Artemis,” Isaacman said as NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen took to the stage Saturday at Johnson Space Center in Houston in blue NASA flight suits to cheers and applause.
In emotional statements, the crew thanked their families, NASA leadership, God — and each other.
“Victor, Cristina, Jeremy – we are bound forever and no one here will ever know what the four of us just went through,” Commander said. Reed Wiseman said. “This was the most special thing that will ever happen in my life.”
Noting the challenge of having their families 200,000 miles from home, Weissman said: “It’s a special thing to be human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.
The crew reflected on the lessons they learned from their trip and shared a group hug.
Following the Artemis 2 mission’s historic successful landing on Friday evening, President Donald Trump congratulated the crew and looked forward to welcoming them to the White House, which he said would happen “soon.”
“Congratulations to the great and extremely talented Artemis 2 crew. The entire flight was amazing, the landing was perfect, and as President of the United States, I couldn’t be prouder! I look forward to seeing you all in the White House soon,” Trump wrote on Friday on his social media platform.
On Monday, the president called the spacecraft and told the crew he would “certainly find time” to welcome them to the Oval Office, though he did not specify when.
Artemis II flight log and lunar views
Launching from Florida on April 1, the astronauts won one victory after another as they masterfully navigated NASA’s long-awaited return to the moon, the first major step in creating a sustainable lunar base.
Artemis II did not land on the Moon or even orbit it. But it broke the Apollo 13 distance record and marked the farthest humans had ever traveled from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). Then, in the most surprising scene of the mission, the tearful astronauts asked for permission to name a pair of craters after their moon and Weissman’s late wife, Carol.
The first image of the far side of the Moon taken by Orion as Earth dips below the lunar horizon, April 6, 2026.
NASA
During the record flyby that took place on Monday, they documented views of the far side of the moon that had never been seen before by the human eye, in addition to a total solar eclipse. The eclipse in particular “stunned us all,” Glover said.
Everyone was blown away by their sense of wonder and love, as well as their stunning images of the Moon and Earth. The Artemis II crew guided the first lunar explorers aboard Apollo 8 with Earthset, showing the blue marble ocean behind the gray moon. It was reminiscent of the famous Earthrise shot of Apollo 8 in 1968.
“It makes you want to keep coming back,” Radigan said on the eve of relegation. “It’s the first of many and we just need to keep going because there’s a lot” to learn about the moon.
Their moonshot has attracted global attention as well as star power, and earned props from President Donald Trump; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; King Charles III of Britain; Ryan Gosling, star of the latest space movie “Project Hail Mary”; Scarlett Johansson from the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Even Captain Kirk himself, and William Shatner from the original “Star Trek” TV series.
Artemis 2 served as a test flight for future lunar missions
Despite its rich scientific output, the flight, which took nearly 10 days, was not without technical problems. The capsule’s drinking water and fuel systems experienced valve problems. In perhaps the most famous predicament, the toilet kept malfunctioning, but the astronauts ignored the whole thing.
“We can only explore deeper if we do some uncomfortable things, unless we make some sacrifices, unless we take some risks, and all of those things are worth it,” Koch said.
In this image provided by NASA, the Artemis 2 crew photographed the crooked limb of the Moon during their journey around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026.
NASA via AP
“You do a lot of testing on Earth, but your final test is when you send this device into space and it is very difficult,” Hansen added.
As part of the renewed Artemis program, next year’s Artemis 3 program will see astronauts training to dock their capsule with one or two lunar landers in Earth orbit. Artemis IV will attempt to land a two-person crew near the moon’s south pole in 2028.
Weisman said the Artemis 2 astronauts’ loyalty was to future crews.
He added: “But we really hope in our souls that for one moment we can stop the world and remember that this is a beautiful planet and a very special place in our world, and we should all cherish what talent we have been given.”
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