Artemis II astronauts make long-distance call to the space station

The crew heads home from the moon after a triumphant lunar flyby.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 6:48pm

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A bold, abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and oranges featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts of deep space exploration.The Artemis II mission's historic communication with the International Space Station represents a new era of connectivity in humanity's exploration of deep space.San Diego Today

The Artemis II astronauts, still elated from their successful lunar flyby, made a historic radio call to the crew of the International Space Station on Tuesday as they journeyed back to Earth. This marked the first time a moonship has communicated with another spacecraft in orbit, a feat not accomplished since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in humanity's return to deep space exploration, paving the way for future Artemis missions that will attempt to land astronauts on the lunar surface. The ability to communicate between the Artemis spacecraft and the space station demonstrates the growing connectivity of humanity's space endeavors.

The details

During the call, Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman continued to share images from the previous day's lunar flyby, including a stunning Earthset photo reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise shot from Apollo 8 in 1968. The four Artemis II astronauts spoke with the three NASA astronauts and one French astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station, including Christina Koch, with whom Wiseman and his crew had previously worked on an all-female spacewalk.

  • The radio call took place on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 as the Artemis II spacecraft headed home from the moon.
  • The Artemis II mission began on March 29, 2026 and is expected to conclude with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

The commander of the Artemis II mission, leading the four-person crew on their historic lunar flyby.

Christina Koch

A NASA astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station, who previously worked with the Artemis II crew on an all-female spacewalk in 2019.

Jessica Meir

A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station, who also participated in the 2019 all-female spacewalk with Christina Koch.

Artemis II

The second mission in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era.

International Space Station

The orbiting laboratory where astronauts from various space agencies conduct scientific research and technological demonstrations.

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What they’re saying

“It was the first moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. NASA's Apollo crews had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time humanity set sail for deep space.”

— Marcia Dunn, Reporter

What’s next

The successful Artemis II mission sets the stage for next year's Artemis III, which will attempt a lunar lander docking demonstration in orbit around the Earth. This will be followed by Artemis IV in 2028, which will send two astronauts to attempt a landing near the lunar south pole.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission's ability to communicate between the spacecraft and the International Space Station represents a significant milestone in humanity's return to deep space exploration. This connectivity and collaboration between space assets will be crucial as NASA and its international partners work towards the ambitious goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.