Astronauts Share Feelings After Moon Mission
Four astronauts returned safely to Earth on Friday evening after a ten-day journey around the Moon the first crewed lunar mission in more than fifty years. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, completing the Artemis II mission. Their Orion spacecraft traveled 252,000 miles from Earth, farther than any previous crewed spaceflight. The capsule reentered the atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour and used eleven parachutes to slow down before landing.
At a press conference after their return, the crew spoke about the emotional impact of their journey. Wiseman described watching a solar eclipse from 250,000 miles away and said he was so moved that he later sought a chaplain on the recovery ship. “ I don’ t think humanity has evolved to the point of being able to comprehend what we’ re looking at, ” he said. During the flight, the crew lost contact with Earth for forty minutes while passing behind the far side of the Moon. Koch said her husband told her the mission had brought people together, which brought her to tears.
The head of NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) , Jared Isaacman, said the agency was “ back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon. ” He announced that Artemis III, planned for 2028, aims to land astronauts on the Moon and build a permanent base. The mission also marked several historic achievements: Glover became the first Black astronaut to reach deep space, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first Canadian to fly beyond low Earth orbit. The crew said they hoped these achievements would inspire future explorers.