Artemis II astronauts reflect on space journey at Red Rocks: 'It was always our hope that the mission would move people'

DENVER — “How did it feel to look back at Earth?” a small voice asked the astronauts. A line of children waiting to pop their own questions snaked from the boy standing at the shortened microphone into the wings of Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Monday.

Christina Koch, one of four astronauts who manned NASA’s Artemis II mission in April, smiled and stood from her chair, raising a thumb to the crowd and inviting everyone watching to do the same.

“Imagine you can cover up the entire Earth with your thumb,” she said. “That’s how small it was to us. Looking out at it, you couldn’t necessarily recognize continents, you couldn’t necessarily recognize rivers or oceans … but what you knew was that was home.”

Koch, a mission specialist on Artemis II, and her crewmates — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen — launched beyond Earth’s atmosphere on April 1, becoming the first in human history to see the far side of the moon.

The crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean nine days, one hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds after launching, NASA communications manager Marcia Lindstrom told the crowd gathered at Red Rocks on Monday.

When Koch was on the International Space Station during previous expeditions, the Earth looked fragile, she said. She could see the thin, blue line of the planet’s atmosphere, reminding her of the “tiny little space that keeps us all alive and gives us what we all need to stay alive.”

But from far away, near the moon, she said it looked powerful. It looked like a lifeboat, an “oasis hanging in the universe.”

The four astronauts took the stage shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. Just over two hours earlier, before the venue’s doors even opened, traffic had already slowed to a crawl in Morrison and several of Red Rock’s parking lots were full. Even after staff started scanning tickets, dense lines of eager fans wound down the amphitheater’s stairs and ramps.

“It was always our hope that the mission would move people,” Koch said. “It was never about us becoming well-known or anything, but just this desire that people would be motivated, inspired and see themselves reflected in the universe as we did in this journey.”

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a popular concert venue carved into the rock in Colorado, fits more than 9,500 people. Every seat was filled Monday morning.

Children and adults alike sat on the edge of their seats, decked out in NASA and Artemis gear. When the astronauts walked onto the stage, applause thundered for nearly two minutes.

The astronauts walked the Red Rocks audience through their historic launch and mission using photos and videos, along with behind-the-scenes commentary. They shared memories, like when Koch had to teach Hansen — the mission’s only rookie — how to use the bathroom in space, and how they’re adjusting to life back on Earth, some having to relearn how to set items down on counters instead of in midair, made possible in space by the lack of gravity.

Even after the go-ahead was given on launch day, the reality of setting out to orbit the moon didn’t sink in until the boosters fired, Glover said. He said he was in awe throughout the mission, but excitement didn’t replace his focused mindset until they landed back on Earth.

“It’s just amazing the reach that this had,” Glover said. “I hope the future missions continue to … remind us what we’re capable of — not in spite of our differences, but when we bring those differences together to collaborate for good.”

The Artemis II mission’s success was supported and boosted by more than 250 Colorado companies, according to the governor’s office.

“For about 40 minutes, when Orion crossed behind the moon, there was no radio signal,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said. “That feels like a lifetime in spaceflight. When Orion came back around, and Mission Control heard the voices again, we knew the crew module designed and developed right here in Littleton had gotten the job done.”

Colorado has the country’s highest concentration of aerospace jobs, and its universities produce more than a quarter of the country’s astronautical engineers, Polis said. The state’s aerospace industry “drives innovation, empowers our economy, keeps the nation safe (and) explores the frontiers of science,” he said.

Artemis III, which is expected to launch sometime next year, will take the next step toward putting humans back on the moon’s surface by testing the docking mechanism for “landers,” said Lori Glaze, the associate administrator for NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

Landers, also known as human landing systems, are smaller spacecraft that take astronauts down to the surface of the moon or other planets. After Artemis IV puts humans back on the moon, tentatively scheduled for 2028, the goal is to use the series of Artemis missions to learn and prepare for travel to Mars, Glaze said.

The most difficult part of those missions will be the psychological aspect, Glover said.

“Mars at its closest is 35 million miles (from Earth), and it’s as far as 250 million miles on the other side of the sun,” Glover said. “You’re going to be so far from home, food, comfort, your loved ones, everything that you know.”

And, unlike the moon missions, astronauts won’t be able to look up at the sky and see Earth, he said.

“Artemis, along with our Moon Base program, comprises the most daring, technically challenging, collaborative, and international endeavor that humanity has ever attempted,” Glaze said. “We are going to reach farther. We’re going to dream bigger, and we’re going to secure America’s leadership in deep space exploration and discovery.”

Glaze said her greatest inspiration comes from recognizing that Artemis is more than a program; it’s a promise made to the next generation. Students across the world will take up the reins and push space exploration farther than ever before, she said.

To the kids who want to be astronauts someday, the Artemis space explorers offered four pieces of advice: remain curious about the world, be a resilient and lifelong learner, reach out for support and do what scares you.

“We didn’t go to the moon on our own,” Hansen said. “Young people need to understand: If they tell people where they’re trying to go, they’re going to find out that people will help them get there. They can’t do it on their own.”

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