From Takeoff to Splashdown and Beyond: A Textbook Mission to the Moon & The Beginning of a New Era

This year for the first time since 1972, NASA sent humans back to the moon.

On April 3, 2023, four astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch (NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), were announced as the astronauts selected to crew the Artemis II mission to orbit the moon.

This groundbreaking mission marks the farthest distance into space ever traveled by human beings, and Christina Koch made history as the first woman to ever leave low Earth orbit.

If all of that isn’t historic enough, the astronauts glimpsed with their own eyes and cameras the never before seen far side of the moon as the flyby progressed.

After the announcement in 2023, the team behind the scenes began the hard work of planning the furthest trip any human beings have ever ventured to take. NASA administrator Bill Nelson shared after announcing the selected astronauts that “the Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to take us to the stars. This is the crew of humanity. Each has his or her own story, but together they embody our credo: E pluribus unum, or ‘Out of many, one.’”

Three years later on a bright and beautiful sunny day in Florida, the incredible Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off flawlessly sending the Orion capsule on its journey to the moon.

The 10-day lunar flyby tested deep space systems and human capabilities in preparation of paving the way for future missions to the moon, as well as testing the Orion capsule’s system for deep space travel. The astronauts were monitored for the effects of the travel, which is important in preparing humans for prolonged missions in space, like those that will be required to make the trip to our celestial neighbor, Mars. The crew also took photos and videos of the moon, never before seen by human eyes.

After a nearly textbook mission to the moon and back… okay, and one minor plumbing issue… the crew endured a fiery reentry back through Earth’s atmosphere and a perfect parachute release and splashdown into the Pacific Ocean. Approximately an hour after splashdown, rescue crews began assembling the necessary flotation devices and “front porch” to safely retrieve the crew from Orion. 

All four crew members were successfully extracted.

Safely back on Earth, the sun’s mighty rays dawned a golden hour light on the flight deck as a beautiful sunset took place just behind them. One by one, they began to exit their rescue helicopters and headed to the medical bay, stepping into the beginning of a new era of space exploration, and leaping into a bright future for all of mankind.

A total of approximately 695,000 miles from Florida, to the moon and back, the crew was safely on board the USS John P. Murtha in the Pacific Ocean, greeted by 550 people on board eager to assist and welcome them home. 

Beyond the scientific discoveries and advancements this mission will bring as we continue to prepare for the future of long term space travel, it is the shared sense of energy, excitement, and unity that will remain.

Halfway through the mission, on April 6th, Easter Sunday, Victor Glover and the crew were asked about what it’s like to see Earth from such a distance, so much so that you can better understand the incomprehensible scale of space. In these moments, as they spoke to us from so far away, words like these will carry a lasting impact. He powerfully stated:

“…Just trust me, you are special. In all of this emptiness, this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe, you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together. I think as we go into Easter Sunday thinking about … all the cultures all around the world, whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not, … this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we got to get through this together.“

Thank you, and welcome home to the crew of Artemis II.