The astronauts of Artemis II were reunited with their capsule on Wednesday, three months after flying around the Moon and travel deeper into space than anyone else in history.
It was their first visit to the Kennedy Space Center since they took off in April. The last time the four of them saw the launch pad, the massive Space Launch System rocket was on it.
“It’s a lonely place without that rocket on top.”said Commander Reid Wiseman. He and his crew spent the day thanking everyone who helped send them on the flight.
The three astronauts of the POT and a Canadian set a new record for distance traveled during the lunar flyby: 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). It was humanity’s first trip to the Moon in more than half a century.
Wiseman noted that public enthusiasm for the mission remains high. While boarding a plane in France about a week ago, he said, a woman handed him her boarding pass with this message written on it: “Thank you for reminding us again of the joy and hope in the universe”.
1/12 | This was the return of the Artemis II mission to Earth. The Integrity capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean without incident, as scheduled. – Capture
They are excited to pass the baton to the next Artemis crew: three NASA astronauts and an Italian announced last month. Scheduled for next year, the Artemis III mission will remain in orbit around the Earth and will practice docking with lunar modules developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Artemis IV will follow as soon as 2028, with a moon landing by two astronauts who have not yet been identified.
The entire crew of Artemis III is made up of men, something that doesn’t bother Artemis II’s Christina Koch, who became the first woman to fly to the Moon. What would be worse, he said, would be if someone overruled NASA’s crew selection for Artemis III alone. “to make it look a certain way.”
“I am very happy and proud that this is not the situation we have”he told reporters.
Wiseman and Koch flew to the Moon alongside pilot Victor Glover and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. Hansen announced earlier this week that he will leave the Canadian Space Agency in September, but will remain as a reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force and continue to support the Artemis program.