Astronauts recall the “sci-fi” experience of flying in the shadow of the Moon

As their nine-day mission nears its end, the four astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft are starting to reflect on their extraordinary journey beyond the Moon. With their encounter with the lunar surface still vivid in their minds, they are preparing for reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean scheduled for Friday evening. "I'm feeling chills just thinking about it. My palms are sweating," admitted Reid Wiseman, the commander of the Artemis II mission. He described the breathtaking moment when Earth seemed to vanish behind the Moon. "You could see the atmosphere. It was incredible to witness the terrain of the Moon silhouetted against Earth as it eclipsed behind it. It was an unbelievable sight that vanished in an instant." The crew traveled further from home than any humans in history, exceeding a quarter-million miles. During a 40-minute radio blackout, they remained out of contact with mission control while continuing to capture images of their surroundings. They also enjoyed a treat of maple cookies, courtesy of Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, marking a historic milestone as the first non-U.S. astronaut to venture into deep space. "As a crew, we took a few minutes to reflect on our location, but then it was right back to the science," Wiseman said during a long-distance press conference on Wednesday night. "We’re just beginning to process what this mission has meant. We had a lighter workday yesterday, allowing us to journal and reflect a little, but there’s so much to absorb. Human minds shouldn’t endure what we’ve just experienced; it truly is a gift." After reaching their closest point to the Moon, approximately 4,000 miles away, the astronauts entered the Moon's shadow. For Victor Glover, the pilot of Artemis II, this experience was one of the most remarkable highlights of their mission.