Artemis II crew discuss first crewed Moon flyby in more than five decades
Updated
Updated · ms.now · May 1
Artemis II crew discuss first crewed Moon flyby in more than five decades
12 articles · Updated · ms.now · May 1
Weeks after returning to Earth, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen told Morning Joe about the April 1 mission and its global resonance.
Koch said the flight fulfilled years of work, while Glover credited thousands at NASA and described the view as spiritual. Hansen said the crew later grasped how strongly the mission inspired people worldwide.
The mission made Koch the first woman and Glover the first Black astronaut to orbit the Moon, while Hansen became the first Canadian to do so, underscoring its scientific and international significance.
With Artemis II's success and new international partners, what challenges could threaten global cooperation as lunar exploration ramps up?
What are the main obstacles preventing a crewed lunar landing, and how soon could humanity realistically return to the Moon’s surface?
As Space Force expands cislunar operations, how might the balance between peaceful exploration and space security evolve?
Artemis II Mission Achieves Farthest Human Spaceflight at 406,771 km, Validates Deep Space Systems
Overview
The Artemis II mission, conducted from April 1 to 10, 2026, marked humanity's first crewed journey around the Moon in decades, setting a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space. The crew, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, performed critical maneuvers like the translunar injection burn and conducted the first human survey of the lunar far side. Despite challenges such as a life support malfunction and a propulsion system helium leak, the mission successfully validated Orion and the Space Launch System for deep space travel. Artemis II's success and lessons learned pave the way for upcoming Artemis missions, international collaboration, and the long-term goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars.