Artemis II astronauts thank Netherlands during return from the moon
The Artemis II astronauts thanked the Netherlands on their return to Earth on Friday as their Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:07 a.m. Dutch time following a 10-day mission around the Moon.
During the final phase of the journey, after a key engine “burn” maneuver — a short firing of the spacecraft’s engines to adjust its trajectory toward Earth — mission commander Reid Wiseman addressed international partners. “We would like to express our gratitude to the ESA Airbus team and to our friends in the Netherlands and Germany,” he said, De Telegraaf reported.
He added, “This spacecraft propelled us and brought us with extreme precision from Earth to the Moon and back, and we are proud to be part of this team.”
The European Space Agency (ESA), of which the Netherlands is a member, developed the Orion service module, which includes propulsion systems, oxygen, water, and temperature control systems. Electricity aboard the spacecraft is supplied by solar panels developed and built by Airbus Nederland in Leiden.
NASA said the four astronauts—Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—traveled more than 1.1 million kilometers and reached speeds of nearly 40,000 kilometers per hour during the mission.
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the crew was recovered by a U.S. Navy ship for medical checks. U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated the astronauts on Truth Social, saying, "The whole journey was spectacular, and the landing was perfect.” He also said, "We will do the moon again and then, the next step, Mars!”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also praised the mission, saying, “The Artemis II crew is back on Earth. Congratulations to Colonel Hansen and the team for this historic achievement. Welcome home.”
