NASA’s Artemis II astronauts successfully concluded the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century — touching down on April 11, 2026, after exactly nine days, one hour, 32 minutes, and 15 seconds in space. To celebrate the accomplishment and share the joy of the mission, members of the ground and support teams hosted an AMA post in r/nasa. From the cameras they packed to the recovery efforts back on Earth, the experts shed light on what it takes to send humans to the Moon and back.
Flying around the Moon
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Susan Baggerman:
Jared Daum:
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Marie Henderson:
Paul Sierpinski:
The human element of the mission
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Jay Hollenbeck:
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Jeremy Graeber:
Favorite snacks and sci-fi
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Jeremy Graeber:
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Dan Florez:
Jared Daum:
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Dan Florez:
Science and photography
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Marie Henderson:
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Marie Henderson:
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Jay Hollenbeck:
Looking to the future
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Jake Bleacher:
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Jake Bleacher:
The Artemis II mission is more than just a return to the Moon; it’s a monumental leap toward humanity’s future traversing deep space. By testing critical life support systems and investigating new scientific phenomena, this team laid the groundwork for humanity’s eventual journey to Mars. And, potentially, so much more.
Want more space chat? Read the full thread in r/nasa, and find more conversations like this in r/space, r/astronomy, and r/spaceflight.
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