Artemis Astronaut Christina Koch Shares Impact Of Spending 10 Days In Space
on Apr 20, 2026
NASA Launches Spacecraft On Mission Around The Moon
On April 1st, four astronauts made history as they prepared to journey around the moon. Artemis II officially launched at 6:35:12 p.m. Eastern Time. As the launch window opened, NASA flight controllers briefly paused the countdown to address minor technical issues, resuming it a few minutes later before liftoff.
Taking off from Kennedy Space Center aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, Artemis II carried the astronauts on a 9.5-day journey that took them around the Moon and back to Earth. The crew traveled inside the Orion spacecraft, designed for deep-space exploration.
Unlike future Artemis missions, Artemis II did not attempt a landing. Instead, it was designed as a test flight to evaluate critical systems and equipment. NASA officials say the mission was a key step in preparing for future lunar landings under the Artemis program.
Artemis II Crew Makes History
The trip was commanded by Reid Wiseman, and also included Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
The crew aboard Artemis II included the first woman and first Black astronaut to travel to deep lunar space, as well as the first Canadian astronaut assigned to a Moon mission.
The spacecraft returned to Earth on Friday (April 10). Splashdown occured in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where recovery teams were positioned to retrieve both the crew and the capsule.
Once back to earth, the astronauts underwent medical evaluations, and each crew member was assigned their own specialized personnel evaluating their individual conditions. The recovery teams assisted the astronauts as their bodies readapt to Earth’s weight and gravity.
RELATED: NASA Reveals Salary Details For Artemis II Astronauts
Christina Koch Explains She Still Getting Used To Being Back In Gravity
One week after landing back on Earth, the sole female aboard Artemis II, Christina Koch, is still getting the hang of gravity. In a video she posted with some team members assuring she doesn’t fall, Christina can be seen attempting to walk in a line with her hands folded across her chest.
“When people live in microgravity, the systems in our body that have evolved to tell our brains how we’re moving, the vestibular organs, don’t work correctly. Our brains learn to ignore those signals and so when we first get back to gravity, we are heavily reliant on our eyes to orient ourselves visually,” Christina wrote in the caption.
She shared that learning more about adjusting to gravity is not only vital for astronauts returning home, but also conditions many people struggle with on a daily basis.
“Learning about this can help inform how we treat vertigo, concussions and other neuro-vestibular conditions on Earth,” she continued.
We previously compiled a list of many things that happen to astronauts while deep space exploring. You can read article that here.
Watch Christina Koch get used to gravity again below.
