On April 11, 2026, the Artemis II returned to Earth from one of the most important space missions in recent history. Its crew of four astronauts completed a ten-day orbit around the moon, the first endeavor of its kind in 50 years. This mission is the second of the Artemis program, which is attempting to return humans to the moon in order to pave the path for possible Mars exploration. 

The renowned Artemis crew, consisting of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, have their share of experience. Koch, Wiseman, and Glover have all served on lengthy expeditions to the International Space Station during their careers. Additionally, Wiseman and Glover both served in the United States military.

Along with their talents comes a slew of firsts as well, including, but not limited to, the first woman to orbit the moon, the first person of color to orbit the moon, and the first non-American to orbit the moon. The crew also set the record for the furthest human distance from Earth at a whopping 252,756 miles.

Despite the seriousness of the mission and the high stakes involved, there were multiple moments of fun broadcasted to audiences back home. NASA’s zero-gravity indicator, a plushie named “Rise” designed by eight-year-old Lucas Ye, caught the attention of the media worldwide for its cute appearance and how much fun the crew had playing with it. The tradition of playing wake-up songs for the crew also was popular among audiences, with choices including “Under Pressure” and “Pink Pony Club”.