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Artemis II crew returns home & Historic lunar mission records broken - Space News (Apr 13, 2026)
Published 1 month, 2 weeks ago
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Episode Transcript
Artemis II crew returns home
Let's start with the mission that has captured the world's attention. The Artemis II crew is finally home. After nearly ten days in space, the four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday evening. This wasn't just another space mission. These four became the first humans to venture to the Moon in over fifty years. During their journey, they set multiple records. They traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history, reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles. That broke the record set by Apollo 13 back in 1970. At their closest approach to the lunar surface, they flew just 4,067 miles above it. The crew captured stunning imagery during their journey, including more than seven thousand photos. One of the most remarkable moments came when they witnessed a total solar eclipse from behind the Moon—an experience visible only from their unique vantage point in space. What makes this mission particularly historic is who was aboard. Victor Glover became the first Black astronaut to travel to the Moon. Christina Koch became the first woman to reach the Moon's vicinity. And Jeremy Hansen made history as the first Canadian and the first non-U.S. citizen to journey to the Moon.
Historic lunar mission records broken
The astronauts spoke publicly for the first time since their return on Saturday, and they described the experience with genuine awe. The crew emphasized their deep bond formed during the mission, with one crew member saying they were bonded together in a way that no one down on Earth could ever fully understand. NASA officials confirmed that the Artemis II mission concluded with incredible accuracy. The reentry phase was one of the most technically
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Today's topics:
Artemis II crew returns home - NASA's Artemis II astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean after a historic 10-day lunar flyby mission, marking humanity's return to deep space after over 50 years.
Historic lunar mission records broken - The Artemis II crew traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history, witnessed a solar eclipse from behind the Moon, and achieved multiple historic firsts including the first woman and first Black astronaut on a lunar mission.
Cygnus cargo arrives at ISS - Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft successfully launched and is arriving at the International Space Station today with over 11,000 pounds of scientific experiments and supplies for Expedition 74.
April skywatching opportunities - April 2026 offers excellent skywatching opportunities including Mercury at greatest elongation, the Lyrid meteor shower peak, and Comet C/2025 R3 approaching Earth.
SpaceX continues Starlink deployment - SpaceX continues its cadenced Starlink deployment schedule, launching additional batches of internet satellites to expand global broadband coverage throughout April.
Episode Transcript
Artemis II crew returns home
Let's start with the mission that has captured the world's attention. The Artemis II crew is finally home. After nearly ten days in space, the four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday evening. This wasn't just another space mission. These four became the first humans to venture to the Moon in over fifty years. During their journey, they set multiple records. They traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history, reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles. That broke the record set by Apollo 13 back in 1970. At their closest approach to the lunar surface, they flew just 4,067 miles above it. The crew captured stunning imagery during their journey, including more than seven thousand photos. One of the most remarkable moments came when they witnessed a total solar eclipse from behind the Moon—an experience visible only from their unique vantage point in space. What makes this mission particularly historic is who was aboard. Victor Glover became the first Black astronaut to travel to the Moon. Christina Koch became the first woman to reach the Moon's vicinity. And Jeremy Hansen made history as the first Canadian and the first non-U.S. citizen to journey to the Moon.
Historic lunar mission records broken
The astronauts spoke publicly for the first time since their return on Saturday, and they described the experience with genuine awe. The crew emphasized their deep bond formed during the mission, with one crew member saying they were bonded together in a way that no one down on Earth could ever fully understand. NASA officials confirmed that the Artemis II mission concluded with incredible accuracy. The reentry phase was one of the most technically