With the Artemis II crew getting ready to splash down back on Earth, the astronauts have shared a few thoughtful reflections.
The mission lifted off on 1 April and is due to wrap up today, Friday 10 April, when the crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — reenter Earth’s atmosphere.
As the flight nears its end, the astronauts addressed their families and the next generation of explorers, offering messages that resonate well beyond space travel.
“I think it’s worth pointing out I learn as much, maybe more from you than you learn from me,” Hansen shared with his children.
“But one thing I would remind you, and I think is worth reminding ourselves and other youth is that all you have to do on any given day is just get up and do your best and try to find joy in your day and try to contribute in a meaningful and positive way.”
The heartfelt message, which we can all take on board, continued with, ‘as humans, we put too much pressure on ourselves’ to be perfect.
“If you look at what we’re doing out here, it is far from perfection, but we are getting it done,” Hansen added.
Glover also turned his attention to his children as the team approached the final stage of the journey. “As we are on our way back from this dream of a mission, your mom and I look forward to supporting you, chasing and catching your own dreams.
“We spent years coaching you, but we are very much in that transition to being cheerleaders and just rooting for you in life.”
He added: “And to the future citizens out there, the same sentiment applies.
“I hope this mission is giving you something that you can take and put in your pocket, or in your heart and mind that you keep with you.
“But it’s not because we want you to see what we’ve tried to show you. It’s because we want you to take this and build a vocabulary to explain the world to us.”
Wiseman reflected on the broader significance of the mission, saying: “The world has come together. We have seen it and we have seen it through their eyes too.”
Koch also shared her appreciation for the family members who have been following along closely, thanking her nine nieces and nephews for the letters they sent. “It truly touched my mission and I feel like you’re here with me,” she gushed.
Reentry remains widely viewed as the riskiest part of the trip. Orion depends on a single thermal protection system to endure the punishing heat generated as it tears back into the atmosphere.
During the return, Orion is expected to reach roughly 76 miles above Earth before the service module separates from the crew capsule. After that, the capsule will descend into the atmosphere at speeds close to 25,000 miles per hour.
Outside temperatures are projected to climb to nearly 5,000°F (2760°C).
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press conference : “In terms of what keeps me up at night, my blood pressure will be elevated until they’re under parachutes in the water off the West Coast,” he said.
“There’s no plan B there. That is the thermal protection system. The heat shield has to work.