USA/Moon Mission—
After nearly 10 days of making history and enjoying an out-of-this-world experience, Artemis II’s four astronauts returned home safely late today. The Orion spacecraft, dubbed Integrity, splashed down right on target at 5:07 pm in the Pacific off the coast of San Diego. NASA and U.S. Navy recovery teams were on hand to retrieve the astronauts from the floating spacecraft. They were taken by helicopter to the nearby USS John P. Murtha, an amphibious transport dock ship. The astronauts took a trip to the moon and back, the first NASA space mission in over 50 years.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen quickly bonded as a team during a mission that showcased their grit, courage, and strong convictions. A diverse crew. Koch, the first woman to fly to the moon; Glover, the first Black astronaut; and Hansen, a Canadian, the first non-U.S. citizen, to make the space voyage.
Also, the mission pilot, Glover, has strong ties to the Southland. He was born in Pomona, graduated from Ontario High School in Ontario, and earned his Bachelor of Science in General Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) in 1999.
NASA photos of smiling astronauts on the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha.
More on the mission and its achievements here.
