SouthernWorldwide.com – The Artemis II crew, fresh off a historic 10-day lunar flyby, shared their profound experiences and aspirations with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, characterizing their mission as “glorious.”
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 saw them set a new record for the farthest distance ever traveled by humans in space, eclipsing the previous record held by Apollo 13 since 1970.
Ambassador Waltz presented the crew with “MUNGA” hats, an acronym for “Make the U.N. Great Again,” a playful nod to President Donald Trump’s well-known slogan.
During their discussion, the crew was asked about their reflections while gazing back at Earth from the vastness of space.
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“As a crew, our goal was to go for all and by all,” Wiseman stated 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 connect with humanity, to inspire a moment of pause, and to demonstrate that humanity is capable of extraordinary achievements when united by a common purpose.”
Artemis III is slated for launch next year, with Artemis IV targeted for the year after.
“The feeling wasn’t singular throughout the mission,” Glover shared with Waltz. “What we observed through the window constantly evolved, which is a unique aspect of such journeys. I consistently felt a profound sense of gratitude for the sights we witnessed, and for the planet we would eventually return to. It was also a powerful reminder of how incredibly fortunate we are to have this opportunity.”
Koch described how the profound darkness surrounding Earth, when viewed from space, made our planet appear “even more special than it’s ever been.”
“Instead of the absolute backdrop that has always been present, because that’s all we’ve ever known, it makes the lines we draw upon it seem significant and important,” she explained. “You realize that nothing is absolute or guaranteed, and that there truly is a global scale. While this is my first time articulating this at the U.N., the truth is that this global scale is our world, and how we shape it is entirely our choice.”
Hansen spoke about the dual sensation of feeling insignificantly small against the immense backdrop of space, yet simultaneously empowered by humanity’s collective capabilities.
“It was a peculiar sensation, akin to how some stars appear closer within our galaxy than others. It continuously captured my attention, making me feel incredibly tiny, a mere individual. Yet, at the same time, experiencing it firsthand made me feel immensely powerful as a representative of the human race. The collective achievements we are capable of, the very fact that we were out there – it has been incredibly heartwarming to witness the widespread attention and resonance the mission has garnered since our return to Earth,” he reflected.
Glover also recounted the spectrum of emotions associated with the mission, including the “glorious moment” of their safe return to Earth.
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During their U.N. visit, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman took the opportunity to highlight the significant progress made, emphasizing that the Artemis program, which paved the way for the Artemis II mission, was established relatively recently by President Trump.
“Indeed, as recently as 2020, President Trump initiated the Artemis Accords. The initial framework established a set of principles for the responsible exploration of space, agreed upon by the United States and seven other like-minded nations,” he noted.
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The crew’s visit to the U.N. followed their meeting with President Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump had also communicated with the crew while they were in orbit around the moon earlier in April.
