Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his crew members received a standing ovation as they were welcomed back in Houston after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, concluding the Artemis II mission.
Hansen expressed gratitude for his family, NASA, and the Canadian Space Agency. He said in French: ''I'm excited to come back to Canada with Reid, Christina, and Victor.''
Still marvelling over their record-breaking lunar fly-around, the crew of four flew to Houston's Ellington Field from San Diego on Saturday afternoon.
After a quick reunion with their families, the astronauts took the stage, surrounded by hundreds who took part in NASA's historic lunar comeback.
‘’What you saw was a group of people who love contributing,’’ said Hansen, speaking on the level of commitment of the Artemis II crew.
Canadian Space Agency president Lisa Campbell hugged all four astronauts before she expressed how proud she was of Hansen and his crew members.
''You've represented the very best of what it represents to be Canadian,'' she said about Hansen.
NASA's Johnson Space Center director, Vanessa Wyche, said that beyond the data, the mission highlighted the connection between humans.
As the four astronauts stood side by side, linked arm in arm, Hansen said, ''When you look up here, we are a mirror reflecting you, this is you.’’
‘’It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth,’’ said Commander Reid Wiseman.
‘’The start and the end were human moments on Earth,’’ said American astronaut Christina Koch. She spoke briefly about understanding new levels of the word ''crew," concluding by saying ‘’Planet Earth, you are a crew.’’
The crew accomplished many milestones on their 10-day mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed space flight from Earth and observing the lunar surface like never before.
Picture Courtesy: NASA/Bill Ingalls
