What the Artemis II Astronauts Said About Their Journey Around the Moon

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Source: BBC Science & Nature•Original, Adapted by LoopRead

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Apr 20, 2026

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What the Artemis II Astronauts Said About Their Journey Around the Moon

Artemis II astronauts: What they said in first post‑Moon Q&A

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The four astronauts from NASA's Artemis II mission said their trip gave the world a feeling of hope. At their first news conference after returning on May 30, they said they left Earth as friends and came back as something closer. They were connected by an experience that is hard to describe.

More than just doing technical work, the mission reminded them of what it means to be human. This includes laughter, joy, tears, and a strong wish to connect with people everywhere. Their message was clear: landing on the Moon is no longer just a far-off dream.

Commander Reid Wiseman spoke at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We wanted to do something that would bring the world together," he said. "We were focused on the mission. But when we came home, we were shocked by the global support and pride. We want to thank the world. Thank you for watching."

He thanked the teams that built the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System rocket. He said these machines show what teamwork between countries can do. "Thank you to every single person that helped build that machine," he said. "It was a magnificent machine."

NASA/Bill Ingalls This wide image captures liftoff of the Artemis II mission in the pale evening sunshine. The tall orange-and-white SLS rocket climbs straight upward from the launch pad, its engines producing a brilliant white-yellow flame. Thick clouds of smoke and steam spread across the ground and billow around the metal towers beside it. The sky behind is a deep evening blue, which makes the rocket and exhaust look even brighter. The scene feels dramatic, powerful and sharply illuminated. — NASA's Space Launch System rocket carries the Artemis II crew into orbit and then toward the Moon

The Artemis II mission carried its crew farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. They flew around the far side of the Moon in just over nine days. On this mission, Victor Glover became the first black astronaut to reach deep space. Christina Koch became the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen became the first Canadian to do so.

For Christina Koch, the full meaning of their trip became clear through her husband. During a video call, he told her the mission helped unite people. "When my husband looked me in the eye and said, 'No, really, you've made a difference'," she told reporters, "it brought tears to my eyes. I said, that's all we ever wanted."

Victor Glover said the experience was something shared by everyone on Earth. "We want to show you how we did this," he said. "Not we as a crew, but we as countries and as humans did this." He remembered looking back at Earth and talking about how beautiful our planet is.

Jeremy Hansen said returning to Earth made him believe more in people. "We don't always do great things. We're not always perfect," he explained. "But our default is to be good and to be good to one another. What I've seen has brought me more joy, but more hope for our future."

NASA This image looks forward over the shoulders of two Artemis II astronauts strapped into their seats inside the Orion crew module. They wear bulky orange pressure suits and clear helmet bubbles, facing a wall of tall, glowing display screens and dense rows of switches and knobs. Their gloved hands rest near hand controllers and a checklist. Around the edges of the frame, curved windows, cables and equipment make the cabin look compact and highly technical — Two Artemis II astronauts in orange pressure suits sit at the controls inside the Orion crew module

Some feelings are hard to explain with science. Commander Reid Wiseman described watching the Sun pass behind the Moon. This eclipse, seen from 250,000 miles away, was overwhelming. Back on the recovery ship, he asked to speak with the ship's religious leader, the chaplain. He needed a way to express feelings that science could not. "I'm not really a religious person," he said. "But there was just no other way for me to explain. So I asked for the chaplain... and I broke down in tears. I don't think humanity can fully understand what we saw. It was otherworldly."

There was also pure visual wonder. Jeremy Hansen was amazed by the vast darkness of space. It was like seeing it for the first time. "We saw so many amazing things," he said. "I kept seeing this depth to the galaxy that I had never experienced." He described feeling very small, yet also feeling a powerful connection as part of humanity.

The news conference was often light and fun. Christina Koch described getting used to weightlessness. After returning to Earth, she dropped a shirt expecting it to float. She was surprised when it fell to the floor. "I put a shirt in the air and it went - it actually surprised me," she said, laughing.

NASA This close interior image shows Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen floating inside the cramped Orion spacecraft while shaving. He wears a dark hooded top with a small Canadian flag patch on the sleeve and holds a razor up to his cheek. Around him, the cabin walls are lined with white padded panels, storage bags and equipment boxes. Blue and white cables loop across the frame, and bright strip lighting overhead makes the small space look crowded, practical and lived in. — Shaving in space: Jeremy Hansen maintaining a clean cut look as he makes history looping the Moon

The crew was also honest about problems they faced. They talked about a blockage in the spacecraft's toilet vent line.

The Orion capsule, however, worked very well and deeply impressed the crew. Wiseman thought about how close they flew to the lunar surface. He made a comment that will interest NASA's planners. "If we had a lander on board," he said, "I know at least three of my crewmates would have tried to land on the Moon." He chose his next words carefully. "It is not the leap I thought it was," he explained. "Once we're around the Moon, we've got a vehicle that's handling great. If you had given us the keys to a lander, we would have landed on that Moon."

The most meaningful space missions often put a human face on space. They let people on Earth feel they are part of the journey. Artemis II did this through four people. They were willing to cry in public, laugh about simple things, and say that what they found in space was hope.

NASA/Bill Ingalls In this close-up, the camera focuses on two Artemis II crew members seated shoulder to shoulder on a bench inside a grey helicopter. Both wear vivid orange pressure suits with blue trim and NASA mission patches. The astronaut on the left gives a thumbs-up, while the one on the right raises a hand as if waving and holds a tan flight helmet in their lap. Sunlight from the open rear doorway softly lights their faces and suits. — Victor Glover and Christina Koch; the first black man and woman to travel to the Moon

President John F. Kennedy once said America chose to go to the Moon "not because it was easy but because it was hard." The Artemis II crew continues this legacy. "All of the what-ifs," said Koch, "all of the workarounds for any problem - accomplishing the near impossible is exactly what we do. And what we just showed that we can do."

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What the Artemis II Astronauts Said About Their Journey Around the Moon

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