The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission received a standing ovation this Saturday at a large welcome event held at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, a day after their historic return to Earth, following the first crewed flight to orbit the Moon in over 53 years.
The television network Fox News reported on the event, aired live by NASA, where hundreds of workers from the Johnson Space Center gathered, along with the entire astronaut corps of the agency -including retirees-, flight directors, high-ranking military officials, members of Congress, and family members of the crew.
The NASA administrator , Jared Isaacman, opened the event with a statement that summarized the historical significance of the moment. "The long wait is over. After a brief interruption of 53 years, the show continues," he noted.
The mission concluded the day before when the Orion capsule successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean, after which the crew was transported by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha.
During the mission, the crew set the record for the greatest distance reached by humans from Earth, thereby solidifying the capability of the United States to once again send astronauts to the Moon as a reality of the 21st century.
This Saturday, President Donald Trump congratulated the team via Truth Social, while former President Barack Obama opined that the feat of the Artemis II astronauts over the past 10 days "was a testament to their bravery".
In the event, the President of the Canadian Space Agency, Lisa Campbell also spoke, acknowledging Canada's participation in the mission.
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