Artemis II astronauts plan to share more about the historic mission to the moon
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After flying 406,771 kilometers to the moon – the farthest any human has ever been – Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch are ready to share more of their experience with the public.
The four astronauts will answer questions from the media at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, at 2:30 pm ET today. CBC.ca will carry the news conference live.
Since returning from Earth last Friday, the four have been examined by doctors and discussed about their work, but best of all, they have been reunited with their families. And they have had a very good reception.
Neighbors lined the streets with flags and signscheers as Victor Glover returns home to League City, Texas.
At that moment, Koch received an emotional greeting from his dog, Sadie.
The four were also greeted on Saturday by NASA Director Jared Isaacman who introduced the astronauts to hundreds of VIP guests at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, including. flight directors, Orion capsule and launch system managers, high-ranking military officials, members of Congress and more.
It was an emotional story for the team members who have trained together for years and just spent 10 days together in a capsule the size of a minivan.
“Victor, Christina, and Jeremy. We’re tied together forever, and no one down here will ever know what the four of us got through,” Wiseman said after taking the microphone. “And it was the most special thing that ever happened in my life.”
Sighing, he continued.
“Man, this was not easy being 200,000 miles away from home. Like before you started, it feels like the biggest dream in the world. And when you’re out there, you want to get back to your families and your friends,” he said.
“It’s a special thing to be human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.”
Back to work
But the games have not been fun since they came back.
Hansen was put into action this week as he donned a lunar space suit and walked on a simulated lunar surface.
“This method takes advantage of the fact that the Artemis II crew has not been fully physically present since returning to Earth,” the CSA wrote in an Instagram post.
Wednesday, Hansen also announced the winner of the Aqualunar Challenge, led by CSA in partnership with the Privy Council Office’s Impact Canada Initiative, which tasked Canadian companies with developing solutions to purify water on the moon, which is a necessity if humans want to make a permanent solution.
The winner of the $400,000 prize was the Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation, formerly known as the Canadian Space Mining Corporation.
Isaacman of NASA recently announced that the space agency is looking to accelerate the launch of these Artemis missions, with additional plans to build a lunar base. And, while technically it all began with the uncharted Artemis I mission in 2022, its humanity began with Artemis II.
At the event in Houston, Hansen called his fellow astronauts to join him on stage as he spoke to the crowd about how excited the four were to be a part of the mission and suggested they were part of a larger team that made it all happen.
“I would suggest that if you look up here, you’re not looking at us. We’re a mirror that reflects you. And if you like what you see, just dig a little deeper.”
