Artemis II astronauts thank "unsung heroes" at Marshall
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Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover talked about the three years of training that went into the mission. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
The Artemis II crew is saluting the Rocket City.
Why it matters: Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Space Launch System that propelled the Artemis II mission into space, and the Artemis crew shared their gratitude Tuesday.
Catch up quick: The Artemis astronauts are five months from their trip around the Moon, which took them farther from Earth than anyone in history, and they stopped by Huntsville this week to thank the people who made it possible.
- The crew spoke to local media between various visits around Marshall Space Flight Center, including speaking to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, who were conducting a spacewalk Tuesday.
Zoom in: "We do sense the amount of pride in this community," Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman said. "Everybody is just kind of immersed in this culture together … [it's a] very tight-knit community and they're deeply proud that they've been powering us off of this planet since the late 1950s."
- "It's just steeped in tradition here."
What they're saying: "As a crew, we're significantly aware of the contributions that went into making that possible: to send four humans around the world," said Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
- "So being here, talking to this team, has been high on our list," he said. "It took us way too long to get here … but that doesn't mean it wasn't important or meaningful for us to be here and thank these unsung heroes, because it's an extraordinary team."
Driving the news: Christina Koch, mission specialist, on seeing the far side of the Moon, said "it was like a proof of concept that the whole rest of the universe really exists."
- "Even down to toddlers, everyone's been mesmerized by this for millennia," she said. "It's not just a picture painted on the sky. … It's all out there. It's ready to explore and we are just one element in this vast, beautiful universe."
Zoom out: Koch, a Space Camp alum, called Space Camp "a place that allowed my dreams to grow," saying it was a reward from her parents for good grades.
- It's also a place where "it's OK if you're not as confident as maybe you should be … but if you love it so much that you're willing to overcome that, then you're doing what scares you and you also have something in common with me."
- Koch said not checking all the traditional boxes to become an astronaut "made me realize that really the important thing is to live a life that gives you meaning, fulfillment and that you're passionate about."