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Artemis II Astronauts To Make First Public Remarks; Artemis II Astronauts Give First Remarks After Historic Mission. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired April 11, 2026 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[16:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVA LONGORIA, CNN, "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" HOS: -- to France. And it evolved into the two-layer dessert that we know today.

BERMAN: And these are profiterole?

LONGORIA: Yes, this is delicious. This is a staple in France.

BERMAN: Tell me about the boulangerie.

LONGORIA: There's this huge competition in France. It's a baguette competition.

BERMAN: The Grand Prix de la Baguette.

LONGORIA: Yes. And we got to visit the champion of best baguette of France. When you win, your boulangerie gets to deliver the baguettes to Elysee Palace.

BERMAN: You literally showed up with baguettes.

LONGORIA: Yes, they didn't let us in.

BERMAN: To the presidential palace.

(LAUGHTER)

LONGORIA: They were like, we'll take this from here.

French people are so good at making bread because it was really the food of the poor. It was the one thing that every household ate. And so you have this history of amazing bread makers that have evolved over time.

BERMAN: Here's to bread.

LONGORIA: Here's to bread. God bless the French.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yum. Good pun.

OK, "EVA LONGORIA: SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" premieres with back-to-back episodes tomorrow night, 9:00 right here on CNN.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

WHITFIELD: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with this breaking news of any moment now the Artemis II crew is expected to arrive in Houston after a remarkable 10-day mission around the far side of the moon. They are expected to reunite with their families before giving remarks, and the four astronauts returned to Earth after a successful splashdown just off the coast of San Diego last night.

Their mission kickstarted an exciting new wave of exploration that could set the stage for a permanent lunar presence, even sending a crewed missions to Mars, potentially.

I want to bring in now my space exploration panel of experts to discuss all things Artemis II. Joining me right now is CNN's senior writer Jackie Wattles, and retired NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham.

Great to see both of you ladies.

Jackie, let's begin with you. You're there at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. So, you know, take us in the room with you. What is the energy like right now? What are the expectations when those four astronauts and enter the room?

JACKIE WATTLES, CNN WRITER, SPACE AND SCIENCE: Yes, well, the vibes in here are incredible. Everyone is very happy. I was just taking a glance around the room. You can see a lot of NASA personnel that were up close and personal with this mission. I just saw the launch director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first female to lead a launch like this all the way to Howard Hughes, the Orion program manager. All of the flight directors. And it is just jovial.

Everyone is trading jokes, laughing, and they have a lot of the crew wake-up music playing right now. So some music to dance along to. We understand the crew is likely reuniting with their families right now. We don't know exactly where they are, but that was kind of the order of events that they get those first hugs and hellos in to their loved ones before they come in here and speak to us for the first time, so we're really looking forward to it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, great. And then, Joan, you really know what this transition is like, too, you know, and the kind of butterflies that all of these astronauts felt and the excitement going up into this mission and now returning and transitioning, getting their bodies, you know, back in check, sort of, and meeting with family. So tell us what this, you know, process of reentry is really putting these astronauts through. I mean, very intense physics, right, down to, you know, the whole

inner ear, you know, gravity situation among the experiences. So, you know, tell us what they're experiencing and what the human body is going through. JOAN HIGGINBOTHAM, RETIRED NASA ASTRONAUT: So, Fredricka, as we're

coming back in we do a protocol that we call fluid loading. And what that is, is drinking an electrolyte rich fluid or you can take salt tablets and water. Not very appetizing. And that helps with hydration. It helps with blood plasma and with that orthostatic intolerance that you're talking about. So standing up and getting that dizzy feeling.

So that's one of the protocols that we do to help us as we get back down to earth and adapt to this one G environment. And it's only a 10- day mission. Mine was only 13 days. So it's not that bad of reconditioning, especially if you do the exercising. And you notice that the astronauts did actually get up and walk from the HALO, to the med thing.

But, if you notice, they were just a little bit wobbly, which was to be expected. It takes a minute to get your land legs about you.

WHITFIELD: Right.

HIGGINBOTHAM: But they were looking really good and they did a fabulous job.

WHITFIELD: They sure did. They looked really good. I was expecting them not to be able to, you know, stand even though it was a little wobbly. I mean, I don't know what I was expecting, but, you know, there was a pretty good amount of time that elapsed while they were in the capsule. It was in the water, you know, all the bobbing before they actually did emerge.

What was happening during that? I mean, was there kind of a sort of, you know, acclimatizing their bodies while they were in the capsule so that they were, you know, in that kind of position to look so good, so quickly?

[16:05:10]

HIGGINBOTHAM: No, actually, there wasn't a whole bunch going on. What was going on as far as the divers who went in, they were just checking them out and, you know, basically trying to get a thumbs up and some type of feeling of how the astronauts were doing. So nothing in particular was going on there. The time that it took was basically to stabilize the vehicle and to install what they call the front porch, the platform so the astronauts had something to step on to before getting into the boat. So that was the delay in getting them out of the capsule.

WHITFIELD: And Jackie, you know, splashdown, it is considered the riskiest part of the entire mission. Right? You know, since the Orion's, you know, heat shield has a or had a known flaw. Thankfully, there were no issues that we know of. So what happens now with Orion? What perhaps might be gleaned from, you know, the success of this mission?

WATTLES: Right. Yes. Well, right now they are taking that capsule out of the water. I understand it's already been processed onto the recovery ship. And after that, they're going to take it back to Kennedy Space Center, where they have experts on hand. They're going to take a close look at how that heat shield behave. We don't have yet first indication of exactly how it fared, but we do know that NASA was expecting to see some cracking and pockmarking, some abnormal behavior on that heat shield, and they knew that going into this flight.

That's why they flew a modified reentry trajectory to try to mitigate that issue. But they definitely were expecting to see some abnormal behavior. But, you know, they had those planes, a bunch of aircraft out there taking imaging of that capsule immediately after it reentered the atmosphere. They had divers dive under the water and photograph it from below immediately after splashdown. It's definitely a top of mind concern.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Joan, you know, I mean, we heard mission control, you know, throughout this mission, talking about the crew experiencing moon joy, you know, around the lunar flyby in particular. Can you explain, you know, what that's all about? You know, what they were feeling and experiencing?

HIGGINBOTHAM: Absolutely. So I'll tell it from my standpoint, and then I will project on what I think they were experiencing. So when I went up, I got to see about half of the curvature of the Earth. We were only about 250 miles above, so we did not get to see the Earth in the totality. The entire globe of the Earth. But just looking back on the Earth and being able to see that thin blue line of atmosphere, once you see that your life is forever changed and hopefully you come back a better person.

You could listen to the crew every time they talked about, you know, seeing the moon and the Earth and they were giddy with excitement. And the term moon joy was coined down in mission control. So I can only imagine how they were feeling, being able to look on the totality of the Earth and the totality of the moon and come back with that. Just the feeling that we all need to be better to Mother Earth and one another.

WHITFIELD: And Joan, we're looking at your amazing pictures of, you know, so many of your extraordinary experiences and, you know, I'm speaking to you so casually, Joan. I should be using a much more formal, you know, title for you. You're astronaut, after all. But as I look at these pictures, you know, you know, there is so much joy, you know, on your face -- in all that you've experienced as well.

You know, watching this Artemis II launch and even it's, you know, splashdown return, is it conjuring up any particular memories that you have had, an experience, and you feel like you're kind of reliving it again or just, you know, indelible moments that just will never leave you?

HIGGINBOTHAM: Absolutely. So watching the launch, I, you know, I remember our launch and just watching the crew and the camaraderie, you know, you become one with the crew. You're with these people for at least a year prior to the mission. In the case of the Artemis II crew, they've been training for three years. So they know everything about one another. And they are a tight knit family that will have an indelible bond for the rest of their lives. But I was living vicariously through them. I had just great joy for

them, and the only reason I would have been any happier is if it would have been me on top of that capsule.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Of course.

HIGGINBOTHAM: I think they did a fabulous job.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, still, you're one in a million to have had that experience and the many experiences that you have had still so special.

And so, Jackie, really quickly, I mean, people are waiting for those astronauts to emerge there. Give me an idea of what's happening as they wait.

WATTLES: Yes. Well, you can still hear a bunch of chatter around the room. They were just given a warning to go and take their seats. So we are expecting this to start pretty shortly, but they have a great panel lined up. I know we're expecting to hear from the NASA administrator and from the astronauts themselves.

[16:10:04]

So definitely a lot of energy, a lot of excitement in this room. And yes, we're anxious to hear what these guys have to say. You could see them smiling and waving as they got onto that recovery ship just you could not see for happier people to be back on Earth. And I'm sure that they're very excited to be talking to their families right now. But yes, we're standing by waiting.

WHITFIELD: So cool.

WATTLES: Very excited.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, we're buckled in, too, and we're on the edge of our seats. We're going to take a short break for now, Jackie and Joan, and we're going to resume our conversation and watch that room and wait for the next step in this incredible Artemis II mission. We'll be right back.

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[16:15:40]

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now at Houston's Johnson Space Center, where at any moment now the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II will be arriving right there, along with some of their team members and talking firsthand about their experiences after splashdown, which was so remarkable. The world was watching last night.

Joining me right now is aerospace analyst and PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien.

Welcome back, Miles. OK, so the stage is set. They, you know, the chairs are in place now. We just need the astronauts to fill them. But what do you want to hear from them first off about their experience?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AEROSPACE ANALYST: You know, they've done such a great job, Fred, of articulating, you know, the other side of the brain, if you will. You know, the rap on astronauts historically is they're very good technically. They speak in the lexicon of engineering and science, but with few exceptions over the years, they don't do a fabulous job kind of doing the poetry side of things.

And this crew, I thought, number one, they seem extraordinarily tight crew.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I think that comes through, and they genuinely have deep affection for each other, and I think that was part of it. But they also were in touch with that side and were able to articulate it in a way that I think brought the rest of us along, you know? You know what I mean?

WHITFIELD: You're right. Yes.

O'BRIEN: It wasn't just mission control talk the whole time they were talking about, well, you know, that moment where Jeremy Hansen names a crater after Reid Wiseman's lost wife. I mean, not a dry eye on the planet, for God's sakes. And then, and then, you know, them talking about, you know, we choose Earth, Christina Koch, we choose Earth, and Victor Glover talking about how the unity that comes out of something like this is something we need to hold on to.

All those things are the things that appeal to me about space travel in the first place. It's a reminder that humanity can do really great things, and to the extent that they can continue to articulate that, that, you know, warms my heart as someone who grew up in the Apollo years. But I really want young people to hear these kinds of messages, too, because, you know, whatever you may say about space, people say it's a waste of money, but, you know, it's very difficult to put into the bottom line what this does for young people and how it might inspire them to study differently, study math, study science, or just look at the world differently. So, so I'm going for poetry here.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And they have been poetry in motion from the very beginning. At the first, you know, utterance of some of their words that we all in the general public got a chance to hear. So you really nailed it. So spot on there. We also know they've taken a whole lot of pictures of the moon and it -- and some of those images may contrast what a lot of folks ordinarily thought would be just kind of gray matter. Apparently there are a lot of colors.

What are we expect to learn from that? And then perhaps learn about how they're planning, what could be the next steps toward, you know, building any kind of structures on the Moon's surface and how these images are going to be instructive and helpful in that endeavor?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it's not purely gray matter, is it? And seeing those shades of brown and little hints of green, maybe that's the green cheese, I don't know. But it's very inspiring to see that. I don't, you know, I honestly don't know if any scientific breakthroughs will come out of it, but it was really great to see the moon this way, to see, you know, here we have a 4K version of what we saw on our, you know, black and white or, you know, newly new color tube TV sets in 1968.

So it's a good, it's the same image, but highly upgraded for a new generation. And it --

WHITFIELD: Yes. Crisper.

O'BRIEN: You know, the outright beauty of the moon is one thing, but for me, my eye always goes to these pictures to the Earth, you know, the astronauts, I think when they go there, they go to the moon, but they end up really thinking about Earth a lot of the time.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That marble, something about that marble. Hey, hey, Miles, I want to take a pause and bring in Jackie Wattles. She's there at the Johnson Space Center.

And so, Jackie, these four astronauts, they got a chance to reunite with their families for the first time once they, you know, left the West Coast and they're in Houston. Tell us more about who is filling the room there.

[16:20:04]

WATTLES: Yes. Yes. We just saw a big swath of the astronaut corps walk in and they are all smiles, I will tell you. A lot of these guys are part of also that Artemis program core and could be a sign to one of the future moon landing missions. And of course, the Artemis III mission coming up next year. That's a test flight that will go to low Earth orbit with a practice docking that Orion spacecraft with a lunar lander. That all in preparation for a 2028 moon landing.

So this group of guys, you know, that there's going to be some moonwalkers among them. And I'm sure they're really anxious to hear from their colleagues that just came back from this historic trip. You know, the astronaut corps loves to share information amongst each other. So I'm sure they're anxiously awaiting more details on how this crew felt about their journey.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And then, Jackie, I mean, obviously the family members, you know, of these astronauts, you know, get to be there. But I wonder, too, are these mostly Artemis II team members who have filled the room there, who get to hear, you know, firsthand, you know, about the successes of some of their projects to help make this happen, or are there other folks who are, you know, lucky enough to be there to be able to hear this firsthand account, that may be a little bit more far removed from the Artemis II mission?

Uh-oh, I'm hearing music. What does that mean?

WATTLES: Yes, well -- I'll tell you, in this room, I've mostly seen Artemis program managers. You know, these have been folks that have been hands on with this rocket, you know, from launch to landing, you know, the head of the ground systems to the head of the launch systems. So that seems to be most of the folks in this room. But I'll tell you, when we were pulling up with our cameras right next to us was a car load of people with handmade signs that were ready to go line the runway and greet the astronauts as they walked in.

So you can tell that there is an enormous amount of pride in the space program here in Houston. Members of the public just love to come out and celebrate this. So even though this room is mostly NASA program managers, the community across the city definitely is feeling the success of this launch as well.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And I wonder, Jackie, tell us more about that because, I mean, I've been to the Johnson Space Center, and you know, I guess in recent years in particular, while there's still work going on, it's been relatively quiet, you know, in comparison to, you know, prior years with a lot more activity. And I wonder how this has kind of revitalized an interest. I mean, cross-generational on what it's really done to that community there, which is very special and extraordinary.

WATTLES: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

WATTLES: Absolutely. Yes. You know, I covered SpaceX's return to flight for astronaut missions in 2020. We hadn't launched astronauts from U.S. soil since the space shuttle program retired in 2011, before that flight. And now we send our astronauts to the International Space Station on those SpaceX capsules. But this is definitely a different beast entirely. The Artemis program is NASA's own.

A lot of this hardware was designed and developed by NASA, although they will be relying on commercial partners for the lunar landing hardware. But yes, I think you're absolutely right to call this a revitalization. I know that folks across NASA and all of the different centers across this country have been waiting for this moment. This is their big flagship human spaceflight program, and they have been working for well over a decade for this milestone.

WHITFIELD: OK.

WATTLES: So you can tell the energy is palpable. The relief is palpable.

WHITFIELD: Yes. OK, we're going to take a little "Pink Pony," you know, club break for a second, Jackie and Miles, and we'll be right back. We'll continue our coverage there o all the excitement there at the Johnson Space Center.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:28:02]

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures again of the Johnson Space Center, where at any moment now we understand the four Artemis II astronauts will be entering that room right there and speaking for the first time after seeing that extraordinary splashdown there on the West Coast after their Artemis II mission.

Miles O'Brien, aerospace analyst, PBS NewsHour science correspondent, back with me now.

And so, Miles, as we await their arrival, let's talk about some of the things that we understand to have been accomplished or take place during this Artemis II mission. We understand that they experienced a 53-minute solar eclipse, and then just before that splashdown, they also experienced some, what, 24,000 mile per hour descent. I mean, and all of these things are extraordinary and actually help set them up for the next layer of the -- of these missions, the ongoing missions of space exploration and potentially building some sort of structure on the moon. I mean, what are some of the things that you think are particularly notable about this mission?

O'BRIEN: Well, Fred, it was a test flight. And they did, you know, like any good test flight, you're going to ring out some problems. A few of the things that they discovered, we heard an awful lot about the toilet. And people tend to make fun of the toilet issue, but it is a real issue when you're doing long missions in space and you want to get that figured out. There was also a problem in the service module that's going to require a redesign of a valve, and this is something to watch carefully because that redesign process could be a time limiter for returning for Artemis II, which NASA would like to do next year as you know.

And then the real question on my mind is, today in the space world, is how did that heat shield perform? Clearly they survived. And that's good. But are there big chunks out of it as there were in the case of Artemis I?

[16:30:09]

There was a -- the way that the material, it's called Avcoat, was applied. It was applied differently from the Apollo era to try to save some time. And that created this problem where it wasn't permeable enough, believe it or not.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And that causes the -- it caused some chunks to come off. And that you don't want uneven heating in this material, which is designed to char and burn away and dissipate the -- dissipate the heat. So, they flew with the same heat shield as Artemis I, but they changed their descent profile.

And so, they went -- the previous profile was 20 minutes exposure to the searing heat. And in exchange, they decided to change the profile to make it 13 minutes in reentry. Now, what that does is that increases the momentary amount of heat. It raises the temperature, but decreases the time.

So, maybe they found a sweet spot where, you know, you can -- between time and temperature on this. But ultimately, they're going to have to figure out a better way to put this material on so they don't have to worry about this. But they -- you know, there were literally Navy divers underneath the capsule taking pictures right away because they wanted to get fresh data, you know, immediately because they want to preserve it.

So, that -- those are some of the things we'll be tracking in the future. Today, it's just a moment to celebrate the humanity of this event with these four individuals. You know, their experience and what that means to that -- you know, really it's a family there as --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: You've been to the Clear Lake area around Johnson Space Center.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's amazing.

O'BRIEN: It's a tight-knit group. It's a company town. It's like a -- it's a glorified military base. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody is connected in one way or another. And they all feel great ownership in this success. And, you know, talking about this, you know, the kind of the morale of NASA, it's been a tough year at NASA.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Huge number of cuts, a quarter of the civil servants out the door. And to have this happen after all those cuts and then the money being clawed back by Congress, clawed back of the clawed backs, and to have this successful mission, it's been a wild ride. And so, they -- I'm sure the emotions will be very high when they get on stage there.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So much invested. I mean, monetarily, and as you say, emotionally as well. Hey, Miles, we're going to take a short break right now. We do understand that, you know, countdown is on.

We're minutes away from those astronauts, you know, filling the room there and hearing their accounts -- their stories. And you know, we're looking forward to all that. We're going to take a short break for now. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:37:24]

WHITFIELD: All right, we're watching two venues right now. To the left, the White House, because the president will be leaving the White House momentarily and could approach the cameras there, maybe have something to say about the ongoing negotiations involving U.S. officials and Iran. And, of course, the vice president in Pakistan.

And then to the right, you're seeing the Houston Johnson Space Center, where at any moment now, we also expect to see and hear from the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission, which had its extraordinary 10-day mission, and then it splashed down yesterday on the West Coast. And now, they have gotten their medical checks. They have reunited with their family members there in Houston. And we're also excited to hear from them there in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. This will be the first time that they are addressing the public in this format to talk about their mission.

So I've also got Miles O'Brien with me. Because, Miles, we can talk about what we're hoping to hear from the astronauts momentarily. Let's take a little listen first, though, maybe to the introduction and the excitement there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NORM KNIGHT, DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS, NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER: Hey, awesome. That is awesome. Well, hello, everyone. I'm Norm Knight, director of flight operations at NASA's Johnson Space Center. It is my honor to welcome you to Ellington Field in Houston as we celebrate the return of the Artemis II crew from their historic mission around the moon.

This afternoon, we're not only celebrating their safe homecoming. We're recognizing a milestone in spaceflight history that advances America's bold return to deep space, this time to stay. I also want to extend a warm and sincere welcome to our distinguished guests who have joined us for this extraordinary moment. We are pleased to be joined by U.S. Representative Chairman Brian Babin, Representative Michael Cloud, and Chairman Greg Bonnen. We're also glad to be joined by the staff of Senator Ted Cruz's office. And, of course, to our NASA leadership and our partners across government, industry, and abroad. We can't do this alone.

[16:40:17]

Most importantly, a warm welcome to the families of our crew. Their steadfast support, resilience, and love are the quiet force that power every mission we fly. And joining us -- you know, everyone joining us on NASA plus and watching from around the world, thank you for following this mission and for standing with us in this defining moment for human space flight.

Just ten days ago, four extraordinary explorers, Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy launched aboard NASA's space launch system in the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity on the first crewed Artemis mission, embarking on humanity's first journey beyond Earth's orbit in more than half a century. Last night, they returned to earth with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Today, at Ellington Field, we welcome them home to Houston, Texas. With their safe return to their families, the Artemis II mission is now complete. Now, to help us bring this incredible crew out here, please join me in welcoming NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche to the stage.

VANESSA WYCHE, DIRECTOR, NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER: Thank you, Norm. I love the energy in this room. To everyone joining us today, both in person and tuning in across the world, thank you. This is an extraordinary day, and it's your continued support that enables us to keep making giant leaps together.

As Norm mentioned, just last night, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy splashed down off the coast of San Diego, concluding an unforgettable 10-day mission to the moon. Together, the crew and Integrity traveled over 680,000 miles in total, journeying around the far side of the moon and return home safely. Marking a milestone within our agency's history that will echo for generations to come.

Along the way, this crew completed critical demonstrations from Earth orbit operations to systems checkouts to the Trans Lunar injection burn and complex trajectory through cislunar space. For the very first time, Orion's life support systems were tested with astronauts on board, and essential mission milestone for deep space when we go there further and further ahead. Beyond the data and demonstrations, this mission gave us something bigger, a powerful reminder of why we dare to explore.

During a ship-to-ship call with the International Space Station, the crew shared a reflection that resonated around the world. How looking back at Earth, our bright, beautiful home suspended in the vastness of space, reminds us how connected we are, how alike we are, and how precious this shared planet truly is. Millions globally felt that connection throughout this mission.

People didn't just watch. They were invested. They cheered every milestone. They reveled in each heartfelt moment and felt the triumph of this journey right alongside the crew.

The excitement, the pride, the unmistakable moon joy. It is everywhere. And a new generation witnessed. If you can dream it, you can be it. And it will lead to countless students to become the next scientists, engineers, inventors, mathematicians, and astronauts who will dare to forge new frontiers in space and push the boundaries of what's possible for the benefit of all.

[16:45:19]

Artemis II was designed to test, to learn, and to prepare. And it did exactly that. Its success is a testament to the dedication of thousands of people across the agency and the world, who work tirelessly with excellence, supporting the crew through every phase of training and execution.

This is the golden age of exploration defined by innovation, partnership, and a bold, renewed commitment to extend humanity's reach. This mission moves us closer to exploring more of the moon, unlocking scientific discoveries, expanding economic opportunity, and laying the groundwork for the first human missions to have a sustained presence on the moon. And for us to have our astronauts venture to Mars.

Today's celebration is about more than hardware and milestones. It is a celebration of four pioneers who represent the very best of humanity, who traveled farther than any humans have gone before, and who carried all of us along with them. And now, they are home. It is -- yes. It is with tremendous joy and pride that we welcome home Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy. We often say that we stand on the shoulders of giants. After seeing them return from this mission, I have to say their shoulders now seem even broader for the next generation to stand on.

Thank you all. And I now have the pleasure of introducing and inviting our NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, to the stage to welcome the crew home.

JARED ISAACMAN, ADMINISTRATOR, NASA: Well, good afternoon and welcome home, Artemis II. I'd like to begin by thanking President Donald Trump and our partners in Congress for giving us the mandate and the resources to make this mission and many others to come possible. I also want to acknowledge the contributions of the entire NASA workforce, our international partners at the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, and especially the American taxpayers.

There is -- there is no doubt there is a price to pay when it comes to exploring the cosmos. But there is also a return. A return in the jobs it creates, the technologies that improve life here on Earth, and the inspiration it sparks, and all those who choose to follow. And to people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over.

After a brief 53-year intermission, the show goes on and NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon and bringing them home safely. This is why it is now my great privilege to welcome to the stage Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew.

[16:50:04]

Well, Artemis II crew, this moment is the result of years of hard work. Absolute immense expertise, and just being all around great human beings. And, of course, many of us already knew that, especially your families that supported you throughout your impressive careers. And on this 250,000-mile mission from Earth. But now the world knows what incredible people you are, as you brought us all along with you on this epic journey of Integrity.

Over the last ten days, you tested the SLS rocket, the Orion spacecraft, you manually piloted the vehicle, you performed critical operations, relayed scientific observations, captured inspiring pictures, and, of course, ventured farther into space than anyone in history on a true test mission. You were, of course, the first crew to fly on this rocket and spacecraft, and that comes with risk. You accepted that risk for what we collectively stood to gain. All that we have now learned from your mission and for where we will inevitably go from here.

But you're not alone. You took all of us along with you. The contributions from the pioneers of decades past, the love of your families here on Earth, and those that were watching over you from the stars. Artemis II was the opening act in America's return to the moon. As we stand here this evening, the mobile launcher is preparing to go back to the VAB, Artemis II will start being assembled, and the next crew will begin preparing to play their part as we return to the lunar surface, we build the base, and we never give up the moon again.

Commander Wiseman, Reid, you said in an interview back in February that you hoped this mission would be forgotten, overshadowed by all that was to come after. But I'm very sorry to disappoint you all. Artemis II will always be remembered. It was the moment we all saw the moon again, where childhood dreams became missions. You helped the world start believing again. And this is something no one's ever going to forget.

So, on behalf of NASA and the space-loving community from around the world, thank you for showing us your courage, your professionalism, your unity, and your humanity. Thank you for showing us the moon again. Thank you for showing us planet Earth again. And thank you for contributing to the greatest adventure in human history.

Welcome home, Artemis II. And now, it's my honor to turn the floor over to Commander Reid Wiseman.

REID WISEMAN, COMMANDER, ARTEMIS II:Yes. Let's sync -- let's sync real quick. Three. Two. One. Integrity. Should we wear these active watches? And if you hit this button, the red light lights up, which tells you got a good battery.

And I don't know why. But for the last two years, when we wear these -- hey, hopper. For the last two years, when we wear these things, it just kind of brings us back into focus whenever we get a little distracted. So, we did a lot of syncing when we were on this mission for no reason whatsoever. I have absolutely no idea what to say.

This is -- 24 hours ago, the Earth was that big out the window. And we were doing Mach 39. And here we are back at Ellington, at home. Every one of us are just going to give a couple of words, but I get the mic first. So, I'm going to start.

Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, we are -- we are bonded forever. And no one down here is ever going to know what the four of us just went through. And it was the most special thing that will ever happen in my life. And our families are over here. And with the exception of Dat, Susie, and Gini, who are in the audience, but I don't know where they are. But, Dat, I'm going to hit McDonald's later today in honor of your husband.

No one knows what the family's went through, man. This was not easy, being 200,000-plus miles away from home. Like before you launch, it feels like it's the greatest dream on Earth. And when you're out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. It's a special thing to be a human, and it's a special thing to be on planet Earth. Thank you.

[16:55:27]

Wait, I got -- now, I got -- now, I got to make a joke. The only person who can follow that up is Victor Glover. So, let's go.

VICTOR GLOVER, PILOT, ARTEMIS II: And now, we're ready for questions. I'm going to keep it brief, because I don't -- I'm afraid to start talking. I have not processed what we just did, and I'm afraid to start even trying.

When this started on April 3, I wanted to thank God in public. And I want to thank God again because, even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did, and being with who I was with, it's too big to just be in one body. And I wanted to thank our families for everything he just said. So, great words, great words, great words.

I love you, but not just those five beautiful cocoa-skinned ladies right there. All of you. And I wanted to thank our leadership. And it's changed since we were here in April of 2023. But the qualities haven't. And, we are fortunate to be in this agency at this time together.

And so, I'm going to sit down. Thank you also to our air operations for this facility and for our ride home from San Diego. And I love you. Thank you.

CHRISTINA KOCH, MISSION SPECIALIST, ARTEMIS II: Reid just said it was a setup for us to follow him. That's true. I couldn't sleep this morning, so I did write some words down in my mind, and I'm going to try and share them with you today.

Ten days ago, this journey started with our mission manager, Sean Duvall, knocking on my door in crew quarters and whispering, Christina, we're go for launch. Get up. And it ended last night with my nurse on the ship put me to bed and said, Ma'am, can I get a hug?

So, a lot has happened since then, but -- or between those two moments. But the start and the end, we're human moments here on Earth. So, several years ago, I was giving a speech and I was doing my usual talk about crew and crewmates and teamwork. And someone asked the question, what makes a crew? What is different about a crew than a team?

And I was like, I got this. Open my mouth confidently to tell them everything I knew about being a crewmate. And everything that came out of my mouth was completely without value. I was like, yes, crews, they're -- you know, they're in space. And they work together, but they eat together too. So, you know, they're crew.

And boats have crews, you know. Your crew, if you're on a boat, helps if you have a paddle. That's -- that'll be good. That'll make you a crew. But the last 10 days, I've gotten a little bit of a better answer on that question.

A crew is people or -- you know, a group that is in it all the time, no matter what, that is stroking together every minute with the same purpose that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other, that gives grace, that holds accountable. A crew has the same cares and the same needs. And a crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked. So, when we saw tiny Earth, people asked our crew what impressions we had.