The Artemis II crew reflected on their historic lunar flyby, emphasizing their mission to connect with humanity and inspire future space exploration during a discussion with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz.
The Artemis II crew recently returned to Earth after a groundbreaking 10-day lunar flyby, describing their mission as a “glorious” experience during a conversation with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. The crew, consisting of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10, setting a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space, surpassing the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
During their meeting, Waltz presented the crew with “MUNGA” hats, which stand for “Make the U.N. Great Again,” a nod to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The discussion turned to the crew’s reflections on their journey, particularly the view of Earth from space.
“As a crew, we wanted to go for all and by all,” Wiseman stated at U.N. headquarters in New York. “We wanted to set the stage for Artemis III. We wanted to get this space agency in this world ready for Artemis III and IV. But in the end, we really wanted to connect with humanity. We wanted humanity to just pause for a second and see that this world can still do something exceptionally well when they put their mind to it.”
Artemis III is anticipated to launch next year, with Artemis IV scheduled for the following year. Glover shared his thoughts on the emotional journey, noting that the experience was not defined by a single feeling. “What we saw out the window was changing, and that is one of the unique things,” he explained. “I always felt the urge to just be grateful for what we were seeing, and to be grateful for what we were eventually going back to. And the other thing was just how blessed we are to have this.”
Koch added that viewing Earth from space, surrounded by darkness, made the planet feel “even more special than it’s ever been.” She remarked, “Instead of this absolute background that just exists everywhere for us, because that’s all we’ve had, it makes the lines that we redraw on it seem big and important. You realize that actually, there’s nothing absolute or guaranteed about this, and that actually, there is such thing as a global scale. And this is the first time I’ve said that at the U.N., but the truth is that the global scale is our world. And what we do with it is our choice.”
Hansen described the experience as both humbling and empowering. “It was like this weird thing where, like stars, some stars look closer in our galaxy than others. And it just kept catching my eye, and it just kept making me feel really tiny, really small as an individual. But then, at the same time, I was out there experiencing it, and it made me feel very powerful as a human race. What we can do together, the fact that we were out there and something that has been really heartwarming since we got back to Earth and started to see how many people stopped to watch the mission and resonate with it,” he said.
Glover also reflected on the emotional highs of the mission, particularly the “glorious moment” of returning to Earth. The crew’s visit to the U.N. followed a meeting with Trump at the White House, where he had also spoken to them while they were orbiting the moon in early April.
Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman took a moment during the U.N. visit to acknowledge the progress made since the establishment of the Artemis program under Trump. “In fact, in just 2020, President Trump established the Artemis Accords. Now, the initial framework was an agreement of principles between the United States and seven other like-minded countries on the responsible exploration of space,” he stated.
The Artemis II mission has not only set new records but also aimed to inspire future generations to pursue space exploration and foster a sense of global unity. The crew’s reflections highlight the profound impact of their journey and the potential for humanity to achieve great things when united in purpose.
According to Fox News, the Artemis II crew’s mission has sparked a renewed interest in space exploration and the importance of international collaboration in the quest for knowledge beyond our planet.