The Artemis II crew—commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—spoke publicly for the first time since returning from their historic flight. The NASA Artemis II mission ended with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on April 10 at 8:07 p.m. EDT, marking the first crewed journey to the Moon's far side in decades. During their NASA crew interview at Ellington Field in Houston on April 12, the astronauts reflected on a 10-day mission that pushed them farther from Earth than any humans in history.
The Artemis II Moon mission reached a record 252,760 miles from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13's distance by more than 4,100 miles. Inside the Orion spacecraft Integrity, the crew experienced a seven-hour swing behind the Moon, witnessing unprecedented far side moon views that left a lasting emotional impact. Wiseman described the experience as life-changing, saying the four of them became inseparably bonded. Across their reflections, one theme stood out—what they saw from space deepened their appreciation of Earth and humanity itself.
