President Trump praises Artemis II crew!
Artemis II launched April 1 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Washington, Apr 6, (EFE).-
President Donald Trump spoke live Monday with the four-person crew of NASA’s Orion spacecraft on the Artemis II mission, congratulating them and praising their bravery after they relayed their experience flying around the far side of the moon during the peak stage of their journey before beginning their return to Earth.
Victor Glover told Trump that when the crew went behind the moon and lost communication, he “said a quick prayer,” but then got right back to work. The communications blackout lasted approximately 40 minutes as the moon blocked signals between the spacecraft and NASA’s Deep Space Network on Earth — an expected interruption that occurs when the moon interposes itself between the Orion capsule and Earth.
The crew kept busy during that critical phase of the mission, documenting variations in the lunar surface on the far side, which has rarely been observed directly.
“America is a frontier nation, and the four brave astronauts of Artemis II … really are modern-day pioneers,” Trump said during the call, which was broadcast live by NASA.
Speaking with Trump, commander Reid Wiseman listed off the incredible sights the crew witnessed, telling the president that when the astronauts could see Mars, “all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two-planet species.”
Trump also said the American flag would return to the moon to leave behind not just footprints but to establish a permanent presence there, and he invited the crew to the Oval Office upon their return.
Christina Koch told Trump that one of the highlights of the trip so far was coming around the far side of the moon and “having the first glimpses of Earth again after being out of communication for about 45 minutes.” “It really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to lead and not follow in exploring deep space,” she said.
The crew completed their lunar observation period at 9:30 p.m. EDT and has begun the return trip home. On Tuesday, April 7, the Orion spacecraft will exit the lunar sphere of influence at approximately 1:25 p.m. ET, at a distance of 41,072 miles from the moon. Splashdown is expected Friday.
While passing behind the moon, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch of NASA, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, studied the far side through photography and direct observation through the capsule’s windows.
The crew reported color nuances that will help enhance scientific understanding of the moon. Shades of browns and blues that can be perceived up close help reveal the mineral composition of surface features and their age.
Artemis II launched April 1 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew is the first to travel behind the moon and the first to see the far side of the moon with human eyes, and has set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans, surpassing the mark set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
The 10-day mission marks the return of humans to the lunar vicinity for the first time in more than half a century and is designed to lay the groundwork for a permanent U.S. presence on the moon and future crewed missions to Mars. EFE
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