It feels like we’re living in some sort of science-fiction future at the moment.
Not only has NASA has launched four astronauts on a spacecraft that’s flown to the Moon and back, but at the same time, another group of astronauts are onboard the International Space Station – a sophisticated science laboratory orbiting Earth.
While the Artemis II’s Orion capsule is on a 10-day mission around the far side of the Moon, the International Space Station has had crew onboard since the year 2000, and orbits our planet about 15 times a day.
Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch looks back at Earth during Artemis II. Credit: NASA
We got an extra dose of sci-fi reality this week, when the Artemis II crew spoke to the current crew of the International Space Station.
NASA posted a snippet of the conversation via the agency’s Instagram account, in which the crewmembers can be heard wishing each other well and discussing what they’re having for lunch.
Credit: NASA
Of particular significance is the exchange between Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, who is currently spending an eight-month stay on the Space Station.
In 18 October 2019, Koch and Meir conducted the first ever all-female spacewalk on the ISS to replace a faulty battery on the Space Station.
“I wanted to say a couple of things to my astro sister Jessica,” Koch said during Artemis II’s call with the Space Station.
“I always hoped we would be in space together again, but I never thought it would be like this.”
Meir responded “I’m so happy that we are back in space together, even if we are, you know, a few miles apart.”
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch preparing to leave the hatch of the International Space Station and begin the first-ever all-female spacewalk on 18 October 20219. Credit: NASA
Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman can be heard saying “From the four members of the spacecraft Integrity, we really want to just say our deepest appreciation to the seven members of the International Space Station.
“It takes the entire world to do amazing things like this and to get to come together as this group of people and talk for just a minute at these distances.
“We are all off the planet Earth right now, and we’re all going to go home to that planet.”
The Artemis II Orion capsule is due to splash down at 20:07 EDT on Friday, 10 April (00:07 UTC on Saturday, 11 April) in the Pacific Ocean, after which they will be picked up by the US Navy and returned to shore.