Message from space: Astronauts address humanity before losing signal behind moon
Astronaut (photo: Getty Images)
NASA astronauts on the Orion spacecraft lost contact with Earth before disappearing behind the Moon for 40 minutes. Before that, they left a message for humanity, according to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's post on X and CNN.
Before departing, the astronauts said they hoped to forget this mission, but it would be remembered as the moment when people began to believe that America could once again achieve the nearly impossible and change the world.
"Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth. On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home," the NASA administrator wrote.
However, during its flight, the spacecraft disappeared from radar near the Moon. This is considered an expected phenomenon, as the Moon suppresses the signal.
Before their disappearance, the astronauts left a message for humanity on Earth.
"And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you," they transmitted to humanity.
Mission specialist Christina Koch added the following words in the message:
"We will explore. We will build ships. We will visit again. We will construct science outposts. We will drive rovers, we will do radio astronomy, we will found companies. We will bolster industry, we will inspire," she said on behalf of all the astronauts.
Eventually, the astronauts reestablished contact with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston and were greeted on their return.
A NASA astronaut made a unique photograph of Earth from the Orion spacecraft during the flight to the Moon. It became the first such image in 54 years.
The Artemis II mission encountered its first technical difficulties during the flight to the Moon. Specifically, the crew reported a malfunction of the space toilet.
