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NASA’s Artemis II crew is on its way to the moon, giving Americans a firsthand look at life aboard the spacecraft as they travel farther from Earth than any crew in more than half a century.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of the U.S., along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, boarded the 322-foot-tall Orion spacecraft and lifted off at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Artemis II crew is expected to travel around the moon and back.
Speaking with ’ Trace Gallagher Thursday night, the four-person crew described what it is like to be part of a mission set to carry astronauts farther from Earth than any crewed flight since the Apollo era — and what life aboard Orion is like as they begin their 10-day journey.
“There is no difference between up and down, and so, yes, I’ve been sleeping with my feet there and my head down here, and it’s very comfortable,” said mission specialist Christina Koch. “I think I’ll probably stay there the whole mission unless someone kicks me out. We’re finding out how to make this space capsule a home.”
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The Artemis II crew, from left, Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover as they appear on a video conference from the moon’s orbit Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)
Pilot Victor Glover said he was surprised when the crew got the “go for launch,” turning the mission into reality.
“We like to say that we’re prepared without having an expectation, but you know in the back of your mind, you kind of hope you launch,” he explained. “And then when we got really close, it was like, wait, we’re getting ready to go to space. And when those solids lit, you know, it was a ride where you’re trying to be professional, but the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler.”
Glover credited NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team and launch control team, who have been preparing for the mission for months.
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Artemis II rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. This is the first time in 50 years NASA will send astronauts on a flight around the moon. (Credit: NASA)
“It was an example of how hard they’ve been working lately that we launched,” he said. “Even though we didn’t get to really watch, but it felt beautiful.”
As the crew answered questions, they passed around a floating microphone in zero gravity. The crew had just completed a trans-lunar injection burn, committing the mission to a trajectory toward the moon.
“We are definitely 100% on our way to the moon,” commander Reid Wiseman said. “The lunar gravity will take over in a couple of days here and start pulling us around the far side.”
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From left to right, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch participate in a media gathering on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington. (NASA/Keegan Barber)
Wiseman highlighted the significance of the Artemis II mission.
“At the end of our trans-lunar injection here, about an hour and a half ago, we just really looked at each other. And I know the United States has done this 1968 through 1972, but it’s just – this is unbelievable that we can put our minds to something and pull it off. This is an unbelievable technical accomplishment,” he said.
Koch added that the crew was proud that it was traveling farther from Earth than any crewed mission in more than 50 years.
“We are not necessarily a crew that lives on superlatives, but it is a milestone that’s important,” she said. “It’s important that people can understand and wrap their heads around what is the latest in what we’re doing? What does this mean relative to what we’ve done in the past? What are we gonna be pushing for into the future?”
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The Artemis II crew was launched toward the moon on Thursday after a nearly 5-minute burn set the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory out of Earth’s orbit for the nearly 8-day flight to the lunar object and back. (NASA)
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and marks a major step toward future missions, including Artemis III, which is expected to involve a lunar lander from SpaceX, Blue Origin or both, according to NASA.
Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
