Artemis II Astronauts Praise Moonship's Performance, Especially Heat Shield

Crew highlights successful lunar flyby as NASA prepares for future moon landings

Apr. 17, 2026 at 11:23am

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A bold, abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and oranges depicting sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts of the Artemis II lunar mission.The Artemis II mission's successful lunar flyby represents a major step forward in NASA's plans to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.Cape Canaveral Today

The Artemis II astronauts who completed a successful lunar flyby mission gave high marks to their spacecraft, especially the heat shield, for its performance during reentry. The four-person crew - three Americans and one Canadian - said the mission puts NASA in a much better position for a moon landing by a crew in two years and an eventual moon base.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission was NASA's first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years, marking a major milestone in the agency's plans to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. The astronauts' positive feedback on the spacecraft's performance, particularly the critical heat shield, is an encouraging sign as NASA prepares for future Artemis missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The details

During their first news conference since returning to Earth, the Artemis II crew - Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen - said their lunar flyby was a resounding success. They highlighted the performance of the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, which protected the capsule during the intense reentry through Earth's atmosphere at 39 times the speed of sound. While the crew spotted some minor charring, they were overall very pleased with how the heat shield held up.

  • The Artemis II crew launched to the moon from Florida on April 1, 2026.
  • Their Orion capsule, named Integrity, parachuted into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, closing out the nearly 10-day voyage.
  • The Artemis II homecoming in Houston on April 11, 2026 coincided with the 56th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13.

The players

Reid Wiseman

Commander of the Artemis II mission and one of the three American astronauts on the crew.

Victor Glover

Pilot of the Artemis II mission and one of the three American astronauts on the crew.

Christina Koch

One of the three American astronauts on the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

The Canadian astronaut on the Artemis II crew.

Neil Armstrong

The first person to walk on the moon, as part of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Buzz Aldrin

The second person to walk on the moon, as part of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Gene Cernan

The last person to walk on the moon, as part of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Harrison Schmitt

The only scientist to walk on the moon, as part of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Elon Musk

The founder and CEO of SpaceX, which is developing a lunar lander for future Artemis missions.

Jeff Bezos

The founder of Blue Origin, which is also developing a lunar lander for future Artemis missions.

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What they’re saying

“Being 252,000 miles away from home was the most majestic, gorgeous thing that human eyes will ever witness.”

— Reid Wiseman, Commander, Artemis II mission

“You just want to hold your kids and you just want them to know that you're safe.”

— Reid Wiseman, Commander, Artemis II mission

“For four humans just looking at the heat shield, it looked wonderful to us. It looked great, and that ride in was really amazing.”

— Reid Wiseman, Commander, Artemis II mission

“That's what it felt like for five seconds.”

— Victor Glover, Pilot, Artemis II mission

“We're not going to be able to pound everything flat before we go. We're going to have to trust each other.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Astronaut, Artemis II mission

What’s next

NASA is already working on Artemis III, the next step in its plans for a sustainable moon presence. The Artemis III mission will remain in orbit around Earth as astronauts practice docking their Orion capsule with lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Artemis IV is scheduled to follow in 2028, with two astronauts landing near the moon's south pole.

The takeaway

The successful Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in NASA's renewed efforts to return humans to the Moon. The astronauts' positive feedback on the spacecraft's performance, especially the critical heat shield, is an encouraging sign as the agency prepares for future Artemis missions that will land crews on the lunar surface and establish a sustainable presence on Earth's natural satellite.