Former President Barack Obama on Saturday praised NASA’s Artemis II crew for completing a historic deep-space mission, calling their safe return through Earth’s atmosphere at more than 24,000 mph a powerful demonstration of courage and innovation.
Artemis II Crew Completes Record Deep-Space Flight
“What the Artemis II astronauts did over the last 10 days was a testament to their bravery,” said Obama in a post on X.
He noted that the crew traveled farther from Earth than anyone ever has, re-entered the atmosphere at more than 24,000 mph, and “splashed down safely,” calling it a “testament to human ingenuity.”
He also thanked NASA for making the mission possible.
Artemis II Mission Ends In Historic Splashdown After Lunar Flyby
On Friday, NASA’s Artemis II mission ended with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean after a nearly 10-day journey that included a lunar flyby and a record-setting deep-space distance of about 694,000 miles.
The Orion spacecraft returned four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, after a mission seen as a key step toward returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17.
The astronauts reached the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans during a six-hour lunar flyby, with scientists at mission control listening as they described the Moon’s surface in real time.
Earlier, President Donald Trump also praised the mission, calling it a symbol of American strength and global leadership. He said it marked a return to the Moon and highlighted U.S. dominance in space exploration.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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