'It's a special thing to be on Planet Earth': Artemis crew welcomed home in Houston

The four astronauts flew around the Moon in a nine-day voyage that took them further from Earth than any humans in history.

The Artemis II crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—returned to Houston after a nine-day mission that took them farther into space than any previous lunar crew, reaching 252,756 miles from Earth and capturing unprecedented views of the moon’s far side and a striking Earthset image.

During a recent call from space, Artemis 2 astronaut Christina Koch reflected on the profound experience of seeing Earth from lunar distance, emphasizing how the vast blackness surrounding the planet heightened her appreciation for its uniqueness and beauty.

The article celebrates NASA’s Artemis II mission and its crew for rekindling public awe for human spaceflight, highlighting the extraordinary individuals aboard and their resilience and strength.

NASA's Artemis II mission has integrated a light-hearted tradition to boost astronaut morale: musical wake-up calls, featuring a variety of songs selected by the mission control team in Houston.

The Artemis II mission concluded successfully on April 10, 2026, marking a historic moment as NASA's Orion spacecraft and its four-member crew returned from the moon, the first crewed lunar journey in over five decades.

The four crew of the Artemis Two lunar mission have been given a heroes' welcome during a news conference in Houston less than 24 hours after successfully landing back down to Earth.

Four astronauts welcomed home Saturday in Houston after historic 10-day mission around the moon, reflecting emotionally on their journey and expressing their deep bond formed during the mission.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomed the Artemis II crew back home after their historic 10-day mission, with the crew expressing their gratitude and reflecting on their journey around the moon.

The four Artemis II astronauts, freshly back from a historic trip around the moon, flew back to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Saturday to cheers and applause from family members and hundreds of space center workers who gathered to welcome them home.

The Artemis II astronauts were emotional—laughing, smiling and fighting back tears—as they attempted to convey how flying around the moon changed their lives and their perspectives of the world.