JOHANNESBURG - NASA’s Artemis II astronauts have described their historic lunar flyby after splashing back to earth near the California coastline.
The crew completed the first slingshot around the Moon in over 50 years,
travelling further than any humans before them.
And what struck them is the Earth’s fragility.
“What struck me isn't just necessarily earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat, hanging undisturbingly in the universe."
"And when you are out there, you just want to get back to your family and friends. It is a special thing to be human, and it is special to be here on planet Earth."
The astronauts returned to Earth on Friday evening.
NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman said: “It's been an exciting Artemis II mission so far and a very eventful 24 hours as the crew surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record, 252,756 miles from Earth. They relayed observations from the lunar surface. They’ve captured some incredible imagery."