The four Artemis II crewmembers — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — spoke publicly for the first time after returning from their successful mission, addressing supporters and family at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas.
Wiseman opened by describing the bond formed on the flight. He said the mission “brought us back into focus” during small rituals they kept in flight, and that the four of them were “bonded forever.” He reflected on the human side of the mission — missing family while 200,000-plus miles from home, the dream of launching and the urge to return — and thanked their families and support teams for what he called “the most special thing” of his life.
Victor Glover, speaking next, kept his remarks brief and emotional, saying he had not yet processed the experience. He publicly thanked God, NASA leadership and the many teams that supported the mission, and expressed gratitude for being part of the agency at this moment.
Christina Koch spoke about crew dynamics and what she learned on the flight. Recalling how the mission began with a call from the mission manager and ended with a small human moment — a nurse tucking her in and asking for a hug — Koch said those Earthly, human moments framed the journey. She offered a definition of “crew” shaped by the mission: a group “stroking together every minute with the same purpose,” willing to sacrifice quietly for each other, giving grace and holding each other accountable. Koch described the view of Earth from space — a lifeboat against vast blackness — and urged listeners to see Earth as a crew.
Jeremy Hansen closed with reflections on three human experiences he and his crewmates lived during the flight: gratitude, joy and love. He thanked family, mission leadership and international partners, and talked about the “joy train” the crew used to recenter when needed. Hansen emphasized that what the public saw — their teamwork and joy — was a mirror of the people who supported them on Earth.
Together the four astronauts emphasized training, teamwork and the rare intimacy of sharing such a mission. They thanked the operations teams who supported their return and noted how ordinary comforts — syncing watches, speaking of McDonald’s, hugging loved ones — made the extraordinary voyage more human. Their remarks underlined both the technical achievement of Artemis II and the personal, emotional experiences that defined the crew’s time in space.