and Jeremy Hansen (Canada)—spoke from space just two days before their scheduled Pacific Ocean splashdown, concluding their historic 10-day lunar flyby mission. As the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, Artemis II set a new record for greatest distance from Earth. The astronauts expressed profound awe—and deep emotional resonance—with their experience, emphasizing that they’ve only just begun to process it. Wiseman described the journey as something “human minds should not go through,” calling it a “true gift” that demands reflection, journaling, and time to fully absorb. Glover echoed this sentiment, noting he hadn’t even started processing the experience—and that re-entry (“riding a fireball through the atmosphere”) would add yet another layer of intensity he’d carry for life.

A solar eclipse viewed from deep space left Wiseman visibly moved—“in chills,” palms sweating—underscoring the visceral impact of celestial phenomena seen firsthand. Koch highlighted the extraordinary camaraderie forged in the confined quarters of the Orion spacecraft. She described the crew’s bond as sibling-like—a rare, deeply meaningful adult connection rooted in shared purpose and relentless collaboration across hundreds of thousands of miles with mission control. Even amid inconveniences—including a malfunctioning toilet—she affirmed the entire experience was “a package” worth every sacrifice: “We can’t explore deeper unless we’re doing inconvenient things, making sacrifices, taking risks… Those things are all worth it.” She added that while Orion felt cramped, microgravity made it feel larger—though “bumping into each other 100 percent of the time.”

Hansen, reflecting on flying over the Moon’s far side, said he witnessed sights “I just had never even imagined.” Yet his most enduring insight remained grounded: seeing Earth from deep space powerfully reaffirmed its fragility—“a fragile planet in the vacuum and the void.” That perspective, he stressed, doesn’t change humanity’s purpose—it reaffirms it: “to find joy… and lifting each other up by creating solutions together instead of destroying.”  The mission marks a pivotal step toward Artemis III—the first crewed lunar landing since 1972—and underscores not only technological achievement but the profound human dimensions of space exploration: unity, humility, resilience, and renewed stewardship of our shared home. (Bssnews)