Artemis II astronauts share experiences after historic moon mission

In April 2026, the historic Artemis II mission concluded, marking the first crewed flight to the Moon since 1972.

During the 10-day journey, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen successfully tested the Orion spacecraft’s systems.

The mission achieved several milestones, including setting a new distance record of 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13.

After performing a flyby of the lunar far side and safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, the astronauts returned to Houston for medical evaluations and debriefs.

NASA officials confirmed that the data collected during this mission is vital for future efforts to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon through the upcoming Artemis III program.