Artemis II Astronauts Detail Favorite Moments From Historic Moon Mission
on May 04, 2026
NASA’s Artemis II Makes Historic Journey 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.
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.
RELATED: NASA Reveals Salary Details For Artemis II Astronauts
Who Was Aboard Artemis II?
The historic trip was commanded by Reid Wiseman, and also included Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
The crew aboard Artemis II was significant as it 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 April 10th. 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 had their own specialized personnel evaluating their individual conditions.
Astronauts Reveal Special Moments From The Historic Mission
During an interview recently with TODAY, the four astronauts sat down to share some of their favorite moments from the historic mission.
“What an extraordinary experience as a human being,” Jeremy Hansen shared. “The things we saw, what we experienced together.”
Reid Weisman, who commanded the mission, says he wish all humans could see Earth from the vantage point they were able to experience.
“This crew was very special,” he began. “If they could just step back and see out the window how beautiful this place is… Earth is a very special place,” Reid continued.
The astronauts shared that “everyday” in space they each experienced emotional and life-changing moments.
One of those special memories included the moment the crew decided to name one of the moon craters after Reid’s late wife, Carroll. Carroll passed at the age of 46 from cancer.
“It was just an amazing opportunity and a very special moment on the mission,” Victor explained.
He shared that the team truly embraced being physically close to each other for nearly 10 days, describing their time as “intimate.”
