Key facts
- The Artemis II astronauts visited Kennedy Space Center three months after their lunar mission.
- The crew traveled 252,756 miles, setting a record for distance.
- This was humanity's first trip to the moon in over 50 years.
- Christina Koch commented on NASA's crew selection for Artemis III.
- Jeremy Hansen will leave the Canadian Space Agency in September.
The Artemis II astronauts, including commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, reunited with their capsule at Kennedy Space Center three months after completing a lunar fly-around mission. This mission set a new record for distance traveled, reaching 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers), and marked humanity's first journey to the moon in over half a century. Wiseman expressed that the spaceport felt like a "lonely place" without the massive Space Launch System rocket. He also shared an anecdote about public enthusiasm for the mission, highlighting a woman who thanked him for bringing "joy and hope." The crew is anticipating the upcoming Artemis III mission, scheduled for next year, which will involve practicing docking with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Artemis IV is slated for 2028 with an as-yet-unidentified astronaut crew for a moon landing. Christina Koch addressed the all-male crew selection for Artemis III, stating she was proud that NASA's choices were not influenced by external pressures to "make it look a certain way." Jeremy Hansen announced his upcoming departure from the Canadian Space Agency in September, though he will remain a reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force and continue to support the Artemis program.