(NewsNation) — NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman said his historic mission around the moon may have changed his personal perspective on faith and God.
“I’m not a religious person,” Reid recounted at a press conference after Artemis II returned to Earth. “But there was just no avenue to explain anything or to experience anything. So I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to come to visit us for a minute. And when that man walked in, I’ve never met the man in my life, I saw the cross on his collar, and I broke down in tears.”
‘Bonded forever’: Artemis astronauts speak days aften historic mission
Wiseman served as commander of Artemis II, which completed the first human flight to the moon in over 50 years. The crew, comprised of Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, traveled farther from Earth than any humans ever: over 250,000 miles. The mission reestablished humanity’s ability to operate in deep space.
Since their return, the astronauts have been reflecting on their experience and its impact on them both professionally and personally.
Wiseman thanked his fellow crewmen and highlighted their unity as a team.
“This was an unbelievable adventure. And it was made possible by this crew and the support of each other throughout the whole thing,” he said. “We are bonded forever.”
Wiseman describes experience as “otherworldly”
Wiseman said he and his crew still have not had time to decompress and reflect on the mission.
“It’s very hard to fully grasp what we went through,” he said.
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But there were poignant moments when the astronauts realized the magnitude of the mission.
“When the sun eclipsed behind the moon, I think all four of us. I turned to Victor, and I said, ‘I don’t think humanity has evolved to the point of being able to comprehend what we were looking at right now, because it was otherworldly, and it was amazing,” said Wiseman.
Wiseman emotional after naming moon crater for his late wife
Another significant moment for Wiseman came when he and his crew asked permission to name one small, fresh crater after his late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020.
“Just for me personally, that was kind of the pinnacle moment of the mission for me,” Wiseman said from space during the mission.
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After a successful 10-day mission, Artemis II splashed down off San Diego on April 11.
The astronauts were reportedly in good health as they began to emerge from the stabilized capsule around 8:30 p.m. CT before being individually airlifted to the USS John P. Murtha, where they were expected to undergo medical exams.
“We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.
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