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NASA's Artemis II Mission Completes Lunar Flyby with Crew Returning to Earth
NASA's Artemis II mission involved four astronauts who conducted the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972, capturing images of the moon and Earth. The crew traveled farther from Earth than any humans before and is scheduled to splash down off Southern California on Friday. The mission marks a step toward future lunar landings and includes international participation from the European Space Agency.
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mission launched four astronauts on a lunar flyby, the first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
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The crew consisted of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission tested the Orion spacecraft's systems for future lunar landings. m.
Eastern time as they rounded the far side. This journey took them farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight.
During the flyby on Monday, the crew captured images of the moon's far side, a setting Earth, and a solar eclipse.
Wired reported that the astronauts witnessed six meteorites colliding with the moon, generating visible light from impacts. The New York Times noted the crew named a moon crater after Carroll, the late wife of Reid Wiseman, who died in 2020, during an emotional broadcast from Houston.
The astronauts celebrated Easter quietly before the flyby and received a message from Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke.
President Trump called the crew to praise their achievement, referencing his administration's plans for moon and Mars missions. The White House and NASA released the first photos captured by the astronauts' cameras.
“I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it.”
