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Artemis II Returns
The four Artemis II astronauts returned safely to Earth after completing NASA's first lunar mission in more than 50 years.
“We are bonded forever and no one down here is ever going to know what the four of us just went through”
They became the first humans to see the entire far side of the moon with their own eyes.
They set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth at 252,756 miles.
The crew included Commander Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, and Victor Glover.
Koch was the first woman, Glover the first person of color, and Hansen the first non-American on a lunar mission.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomed them back, saying the show goes on.
Crew Reflections
The astronauts spoke emotionally about their experience.
Wiseman said it feels like the greatest dream on Earth.
Glover said the gratitude was too big to just be in one body.
Koch described Earth as just this lifeboat hanging in the universe.
Hansen said the crew loved contributing and extracting joy.
The Canadian Space Agency President praised Hansen's representation of Canadian values.
Next Steps
NASA is planning Artemis III to test docking with lunar landers.
“Artemis 3 will now stay in Earth orbit, testing Orion's ability to dock with one or both of the program's crewed lunar landers”
Artemis IV aims to put astronauts near the moon's south pole in late 2028.
The Artemis program envisions establishing a lunar base by 2032.
Challenges include delays in lander development.
SpaceX is at least two years late and Blue Origin at least eight months late.
The plan is elegant but fiendishly difficult.
Public Reaction
The Artemis II mission received widespread media coverage.
Comedian Bill Maher criticized the mission as just another big rock.
He questioned whether it was worth the estimated $4 billion cost.
Fox News commentator Charlie Hurt criticized Maher.
The Guardian published an op-ed questioning the practical case for human spaceflight.
Estimated expenditures on Artemis are close to $100 billion.