HOUSTON (AP) 鈥� Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon鈥檚 far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
With a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What鈥檚 next? And how do you top that?
鈥淭o people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,鈥� NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada鈥檚 Jeremy Hansen at .
Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.
鈥淭he next mission鈥檚 right around the corner,鈥� entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crew鈥檚 Pacific splashdown on Friday.
In for next year, Artemis III鈥檚 yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk鈥檚 SpaceX and Jeff Bezos鈥� Blue Origin are racing to have their company鈥檚 lander ready first.
Musk鈥檚 Starship and Bezos鈥� Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacman鈥檚 envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there 鈥� ice that could provide water and rocket fuel.
The docking mechanism for Artemis III鈥檚 close-to-home trial run is already at Florida鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.
NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew 鈥渟oon.鈥� Like 1969鈥檚 Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow.
Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit 鈥� 鈥渁 test pilot鈥檚 dream.鈥� But there鈥檚 no question, he noted, that 鈥渢he real astronauts鈥� at least in the public鈥檚 mind were the ones who walked on the moon.
Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.
During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named , who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care.
Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.
鈥淲onderful communicators, almost poets,鈥� Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.
Apollo鈥檚 manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs.
For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis 鈥� Apollo鈥檚 twin sister in Greek mythology 鈥� couldn鈥檛 come fast enough.
Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography 鈥淎 Man on the Moon鈥� led to the HBO miniseries 鈥淔rom the Earth to the Moon.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how far we鈥檝e come and how different this experience is from back then,鈥� Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.
The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Friday鈥檚 reentry alongside the astronauts鈥� spouses and children.
鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 at stake,鈥� Kshatriya confided afterward. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.鈥�
Calling it 鈥渕ission complete鈥� only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturday鈥檚 celebration.
鈥淚t is time to go and be ready,鈥� he said, pointing at them, 鈥渂ecause it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.鈥�
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