Artemis II crew return to Houston and say they are ‘bonded forever’

The crew of Artemis II has returned to Houston and said they are ‘bonded forever’ after completing their historic lunar flyby. 

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, wrapped up a ten-day mission that carried them around the moon and farther than any human had ever travelled into space before. 

The group received a standing ovation on Saturday as they returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas, to speak out for the first time after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

The crowd included NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, flight directors and the launch director, Orion capsule and exploration system managers, high-ranking military officers, members of Congress, the space agency’s entire blue-suited astronaut corps and even retired ones, and more.

‘The long wait is over. After a brief 53-year intermission, the show goes on,’ Isaacman said. 

‘Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew,’ he added, as the crowd stood, applauded and cheered

Wiseman, the Artemis II commander, kicked off his remarks noting that the crew is ‘bonded forever.’

‘No one down here is ever going to know what the four of us just went through. It was the most special thing that will ever happen in my life,’ Wiseman said.

He grew emotional as he explained how it was difficult being hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth, but that the crew enjoyed the experience with each other.

‘Man, this was not easy being 200,000 plus miles away from home. Like before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on Earth. And when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends,’ he said.

‘It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.’

Koch added that she and crewmates are ‘inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked’ after their mission to fly by the moon. 

‘This is the furthest I’ve been from Reid in a long time,’ Canadian Jeremy Hansen teased as he spoke at the press conference. 

Hansen said the crew embodied love ‘and extracting joy out of that’ as the four joined together to stand in a row, embracing one another.

‘When you look up here, you’re not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see then just look a little deeper This is you,’ he said.

Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell called the mission ‘a powerful moment.’ She told Hansen he represents ‘the best of what it means to be Canadian.’

They returned to Earth late Friday night, landing off the coast of California after ten days in space. 

Glover reflected on his faith and thanked God and his family after the mission.

‘When this started on April 3rd, I wanted to thank God in public. And I want to thank God again,’ he said.

‘The gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did, and being with who I was with. It’s too big to just be in one body.’

Koch said what stood out to her to most during her time around the moon was the blackness that surrounded Earth.

‘Honestly, what struck me is not just Earth, it’s all of the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat, hanging un-disturbingly in the universe.

‘I know I have not learned everything this journey has yet to teach me. But there is one new thing I know, and that is, Planet Earth, you are a crew.’ 

The spacecraft reached blistering speeds of up to 25,000 miles per hour before making its ‘bullseye’ landing.

Isaacman called the moon mission ‘perfect’ and declared America’s intention to begin the work on a successful moon landing and construction of a lunar base by 2028.

After being picked up from the Orion crew module and flown to the USS John P Murtha by helicopter, the history-making space explorers were greeted by cheering onboard crowds.

But as they exited the choppers, it was clear they struggled to walk normally due to their time spent in microgravity.

All four members of the team were supported by a person on each side, while a third assistant pushed a wheelchair behind them in case it was needed.

While a couple of the astronauts appeared to lean more heavily on the support than others, no wheelchair was required and one even walked unaided, waving triumphantly at staff on the ship.

Donald Trump announced he is set to welcome the newly returned Artemis II crew to the White House following their successful moon mission.

‘Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

‘The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud!

‘I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!’