Artemis II Crew Welcomed Home After Historic Lunar Voyage
Summary: After the Orion spacecraft's successful Pacific splashdown on the evening of April 10, the four Artemis II astronauts made their first public appearance on Saturday, April 11, captivating global attention. President Trump issued a statement of congratulations and invited the crew to the White House.
Image credit: NASA
The Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, covering over 250,000 miles (approximately 400,000 km) in 10 days. It marked humanity's first crewed lunar voyage in over half a century, breaking Apollo 13's long-standing distance record from Earth.
On Saturday, April 11, the four astronauts described their lunar journey as "surreal" during their first public engagement after return. Australian SBS News reported that the astronauts "blazed new records near the moon with grace and joy." Major US media outlets extensively covered the splashdown, calling it a "picture-perfect Pacific Ocean splashdown."
President Trump stated he "could not be more proud" and extended an invitation for the astronauts to visit the White House.
The mission's success paves the way for Artemis III, the first crewed lunar landing under the Artemis program. However, NASA's own assessments indicate potential delays for the SpaceX Starship lunar lander, with readiness possibly pushed to February 2028.