SouthernWorldwide.com – The Artemis II crew, fresh from their historic 10-day lunar flyby, shared their profound experiences with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, characterizing the mission as a “glorious” undertaking.
The four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—successfully returned to Earth on April 10th. Their splashdown off the coast of San Diego marked the end of a journey that took them around the moon and set a new record for the farthest distance ever traveled by humans in space, surpassing the 1970 Apollo 13 record.
Ambassador Waltz presented the crew with “MUNGA,” or “Make the U.N. Great Again,” hats, a gesture inspired by President Donald Trump’s well-known “Make America Great Again” slogan.
During their discussion, the crew was asked about their feelings and thoughts as they observed Earth from the vantage point of space.
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“As a crew, our objective was to achieve this for everyone and with everyone,” stated Wiseman at the U.N. headquarters in New York. “We aimed to lay the groundwork for Artemis III and prepare the global space community for subsequent missions like Artemis III and IV. Ultimately, our deepest desire was to foster a connection with humanity, to encourage people worldwide to pause and recognize that humanity is still capable of achieving extraordinary feats when united in purpose.”
Artemis III is slated for launch next year, with Artemis IV targeted for the year following.
“You inquired about the experience, and it wasn’t a single, uniform feeling throughout the mission,” Glover shared with Waltz. “What we witnessed through the window was constantly evolving, which is one of the most unique aspects of such a journey. I consistently felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the sights we were beholding, and also for the home we would eventually return to. Beyond that, there was a profound appreciation for the privilege of experiencing it all.”
Koch reflected that observing Earth against the backdrop of the surrounding darkness made the planet appear “even more special than it’s ever been.”
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“Instead of the absolute, ever-present background that has always been our reality, it highlights the lines we draw on it, making them seem significant and important,” she explained. “One realizes that nothing about our existence is absolute or guaranteed, and that there truly is a global scale to consider. This is the first time I’m articulating this at the U.N., but the truth is that this global scale is our world. And how we choose to interact with it is entirely up to us.”
Hansen described the sensation of witnessing the immense expanse of space, which evoked feelings of individual insignificance while simultaneously empowering him with the knowledge of humanity’s collective capabilities.
“It was a peculiar sensation, much like how some stars in our galaxy appear closer than others. It continually captured my attention, making me feel incredibly tiny, diminished as an individual. Yet, concurrently, being present and experiencing it firsthand made me feel immensely powerful as a representative of the human race. The realization of what we can achieve together, the very fact that we were out there, has been deeply heartwarming since our return to Earth and observing the widespread public engagement and resonance with the mission,” he recounted.
Glover also spoke about the myriad emotions associated with the mission, including the “glorious moment” of their safe return to Earth.
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During their visit to the U.N., NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the significance of their journey, noting the relatively recent establishment of the Artemis program by President Trump, which directly led to the Artemis II mission.
“Indeed, as recently as 2020, President Trump initiated the Artemis Accords. This framework began as an agreement outlining principles for the responsible exploration of space, initially between the United States and seven other like-minded nations,” he stated.
The crew’s appearance at the U.N. followed their meeting with former President Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump had also communicated with the crew earlier in April while they were in orbit around the moon.
