Artemis II Crew Splashes Down After Moon Flyby
Why it matters: The Artemis II mission paves the way for NASA's planned 2028 moon landing and the establishment of a permanent lunar base.
- Artemis II crew of Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch (NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) became the first humans to travel to the moon and return safely since 1970.
- The Orion space capsule traveled 694,481 miles (1,117,659km) during its 9-day, 1-hour, and 32-minute journey, officially recorded as a 10-day mission.
- NASA's associate administrator Amit Kshatriya declared, "This time we return to stay," signaling a shift from planting flags to establishing a permanent lunar presence.
- NASA administrator Jared Isaacman affirmed the mission as "just the beginning," with plans to send missions to the moon with frequency, aiming for a landing in 2028 to start building a base.
- Sean Quinn, NASA’s exploration ground systems manager, confirmed the crew's well-being after receiving a call from Commander Wiseman, who described Earth as having a "great blue hue."
The Artemis II mission successfully concluded with its four-person crew splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean after a record-breaking 10-day moon flyby, marking humanity's return to lunar travel since Apollo 17 in 1970. NASA officials hailed the mission as "just the beginning," emphasizing plans for frequent lunar missions, a moon landing by 2028, and the establishment of a permanent base.
