Artemis II commander hails Elon Musk after Mars sighting
Orion spacecraft travelled approximately 694,000 miles during its journey
The commander of NASA’s Artemis II mission, Reid Wiseman, has publicly praised Elon Musk after a remarkable moment during the crew’s recent journey around the Moon, where astronauts caught a distant glimpse of Mars.
In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter), Wiseman reflected on the experience, describing how the four-member crew observed the faint red glow of the planet as the Sun set behind the Moon.
He said the sight reinforced their belief that humanity is closer than ever to reaching Mars, expressing confidence that advances driven by leading innovators could make interplanetary travel a reality in the near future.
The milestone came as part of Artemis II, which concluded successfully with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean following a nearly 10-day mission.
The spacecraft, Orion spacecraft, travelled approximately 694,000 miles during its journey, including a close flyby of the Moon.
The mission marked a significant step forward for NASA, representing the first crewed trip toward the Moon since Apollo 17.
Although Artemis II did not include a lunar landing, it served as a critical test of systems that will be used in future missions aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface.
The crew also included Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, all of whom contributed to the mission’s success.
Meanwhile, Musk has indicated that SpaceX is currently prioritising plans for a sustainable human presence on the Moon, citing faster launch cycles as a key advantage, while still maintaining long-term ambitions to send humans to Mars.