Space travel Moon mission crew celebrated after returning to Earth
The astronaut and three astronauts from the "Artemis 2" mission were celebrated by their families, friends and colleagues after their return. "Thank you for showing us the moon again," said Nasa chief Jared Isaacman in Houston, Texas.
12.04.2026, 05:59
SDA
"Thank you for showing us planet Earth again," said Isaacman, addressing US astronaut Christina Koch, US astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen at a welcome event.
"I haven't processed what we just did and I'm scared to even start trying," Glover said. "It wasn't easy being more than 200,000 miles from home," Wiseman said. "Before takeoff it feels like the biggest dream on earth, but once you're out there you just want to get back to family and friends. It's a special thing to be human, and it's a special thing to be on planet Earth." Koch said Earth felt like a "lifeboat" from afar.
The crew landed back on Earth in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on Saturday night (CEST) after around ten days in space. The astronauts were then medically examined and later flown on to Houston, where they were able to see their families and friends again.
They were the first humans near the moon for more than 50 years. They flew around the moon and further away from Earth than any humans had ever been before.
