Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman described one of his favorite moments from the lunar flyby after Trump asked the astronauts to recount what stood out to them.
“The surprise of the day: We just came out of an eclipse. We could see the corona of the sun, and then we could see the planet train line up with Mars. And all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two planet species.”
NASA astronaut Christina Koch added: “Mr. President, to be here with you speaking about our incredible day today. I think one of the biggest highlights was coming back from the far side of the moon and having the first glimpses of planet Earth again after being out of communication for about 45 minutes. It really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to work to lead and not follow in exploring deep space.”
NASA astronaut Victor Glover also noted what a special day it was for many, not just the crew.
“It’s really special for us, but it’s really special for the team on the ground,” Glover said. “A whole team of people all around the world pulled this off, and we just want to say thank you to all of you for this. It is the thrill and honor of a lifetime to have been on this journey. Today was amazing, but this three year journey has been amazing, and it was made people, made possible by the American people and the Canadian people. And we’re so grateful to you all.”
