TENERIFE: Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said he feared his crew might never return to Earth when their spacecraft’s distance reading kept rising during April’s flight around the Moon.
Speaking at the Starmus Festival, Wiseman recalled watching Orion’s display as it approached the maximum distance mission control had given him.
He expected the reading to fall after reaching 219,667 nautical miles from Earth. Instead, it continued climbing over the next several minutes. “I thought we had just gone too far,” Wiseman said.
After another three-minute wait, the number finally dropped. The crew cheered as the display began showing their distance from Earth decreasing.
Wiseman described his fear as a reaction to the reading. His account did not establish that Orion had left its planned flight path.
Meanwhile, he recalled how seeing Earth surrounded by darkness intensified his desire to return to his children and friends. Simple experiences, including sitting on grass and eating fresh food, took on greater importance.
Read: Artemis III Crew Named For 2027 NASA Moon Test
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen described atmospheric re-entry as his most frightening moment. He recalled pressure pushing the crew into their seats while bright plasma glowed outside the windows.
Later, a brief fall between parachute deployments ended when the main parachutes opened, prompting the astronauts to clasp hands.
Read: Artemis II Astronauts Share Call with ISS Crew
Before launch, Hansen said, the crew had discussed how they would respond if they could not return home. Wiseman, Hansen and pilot Victor Glover accepted Stephen Hawking medals for science communication at Starmus on October 17. Christina Koch was the fourth member of the mission crew.
