Artemis II Crew Communicate from Lunar Orbit
The four astronauts aboard Artemis II expressed their excitement during a live broadcast on the second day of their mission orbiting the Moon. They discussed a variety of topics including technical challenges, life in space, and the significance of their historic journey.
Commander Reid Wiseman opened the broadcast by describing the "spectacular view of Earth from space."
"You can see the entire globe from pole to pole... It was the most spectacular moment and it paused all four of us in our tracks," he said.
The crew, comprising pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, successfully completed a critical engine burn intended to propel the Orion spacecraft to the Moon's far side.
Accompanying the astronauts was a plush mascot representing the Moon, designed by eight-year-old Lucas Yee from San Francisco, which was featured during the live broadcast.
Wiseman reflected on the mission's importance, noting the crew's awareness of the "gravity" of their historic endeavor, which will take them farther from Earth than any humans before them.
The mission is planned to last 10 days, during which the crew will travel up to 252,799 miles (406,840 kilometers) from Earth, surpassing the previous distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, which was 248,655 miles.
This mission will not include a lunar landing; instead, it aims to prepare for a potential Moon landing planned for 2028.
"There is nothing normal about this... [It's a] Herculean effort," said Wiseman, who began his career as a fighter pilot before joining NASA as an astronaut in 2009.
"Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of. It's your hopes for the future that carry us now on this journey around the Moon," added Hansen, the first Canadian to travel to the Moon.
Hansen described his first spaceflight as an "extraordinary" experience.
"[It's a] tremendous amount of disbelief for me... I wish I could have gotten here sooner," he said.
The crew reported that their launch went unexpectedly smoothly despite some initial issues with the spacecraft's toilet system. These problems were resolved after Koch, who took on the role of the crew's "space plumber," dismantled parts of the toilet following instructions from mission control.
"I like to say that [the plunger] is the most important piece of equipment in space," Koch said with a laugh.
"It was a priming issue. Luckily we're [now] all systems go."
Another technical challenge involved the spacecraft's windows, which became dirty due to the astronauts spending significant time "glued to the windows" while taking photographs. NASA ground teams advised the crew to clean the windows using water and a dry wipe.
The astronauts also shared insights into how they manage sleep in the confined space of the Orion spacecraft. Koch sleeps "suspended like a bat," while Glover fits himself into a narrow space between equipment and the ceiling.
"It's comical... [but] more comfortable than you would think," Glover said. "It's nice to sleep with weightlessness again."
When asked about divisions within the United States, Glover encouraged unity behind the mission.
"No matter where you're from or what you look like, we are one people," he said.
It remains unclear whether the question referred specifically to divisions related to NASA's Artemis program, which has both supporters who view it as an "America First project" and critics concerned about its cost and technical challenges.
The Artemis II mission is taking place amid increasing political divisions in the U.S.
"We call amazing things that people do 'moonshots' for a reason. This mission has shown us what we can do when we, not just put our differences aside, but when we bring our differences together to accomplish something great," Glover said.
"It has given us [something] we all can hold on to for the rest of our days. And I hope people will tune in and give us a chance."
The crew is expected to conduct several more video conferences during the mission. A particularly critical communication session will occur after a planned blackout period when the Orion spacecraft passes behind the Moon's far side, resulting in a 41-minute loss of contact with mission control.
