Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover in front of the Orion spacecraft after it was recovered in the Pacific Ocean on April 11, 2026.NASA/Bill Ingalls/Reuters
Artemis II’s historic journey around the moon captivated audiences worldwide as astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch reached new space exploration heights. During their momentous 10-day journey, not only did the crew complete a record-breaking flyby, they also revealed never-before-seen imagery of the moon’s far side, plus new views of the Earth – and a total solar eclipse.
After a successful splashdown on April 10, the crew has been settling back into a more earthly rhythm, reuniting with family members and reminiscing about their time in space. Here’s what the Artemis II astronauts have been doing post-mission.
Jeremy Hansen
The Canadian-born astronaut has kept a relatively low profile since returning to Earth, but he did take to social media on April 12 to share some heartwarming news with his nearly 500,000 Instagram followers. “Launching on April 1st meant I got back in time to celebrate my 23rd wedding anniversary,” he wrote, alongside a photo of himself and his gold wedding band. “Grateful to be able to share this zero g photo of my wedding ring in person over dinner tonight … as well as some cuddle time on Earth.”
Mr. Hansen is married to Dr. Catherine Hansen, an OB/GYN and the Chief Medical Officer at Effica, a virtual menopause clinic. They live in Houston with their three children, Ashley, Katelyn and Devon.
Devon, Mr. Hansen’s son, also shared a special update in a video uploaded to his Instagram page on April 8. In the clip, Devon explains that his dad took five birthstone necklace charms – one for each family member – with him aboard Artemis II. “Once he returns, they’ll get returned to us, and it’ll be like a little piece of us has travelled to the moon with him.”
In the same video, Devon mentioned retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who commanded the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013, noting that Mr. Hadfield carried the same charms with him while aboard the ISS.
Mr. Hadfield and Jeremy Hansen have a perhaps little-known connection. In 2012, Mr. Hansen was one of Mr. Hadfield’s family escorts as he prepared for his 2013 mission. “Essentially, the family escort is a surrogate spouse: someone who’s available to help out on Earth not only during launch but later, when life has returned to normal but the mission is ongoing,” Hadfield wrote in his 2013 book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.
Reid Wiseman
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman also took to social media to celebrate his family reunion after the crew’s April 10 splashdown. “Mission complete,” he wrote in an Instagram post where he can be seen sitting in a vehicle with his two daughters – and a space plushie named Rise. Inside the moon mascot and zero-gravity indicator (a small object brought aboard a spacecraft to confirm microgravity) is an SD card with more than five million names submitted by individuals worldwide who wanted to send their names to space.
“I was supposed to leave Rise in Integrity,” Mr. Wiseman wrote on X. “But that was not something I was going to do. I stuffed that little guy in a dry bag we had in our survival kit and hooked the bag onto my pressure suit.”
Artemis II Q&A with science reporter Ivan Semeniuk
Mr. Wiseman’s wife, Carroll, passed away in 2020 following a battle with cancer. During the mission, the crew honoured her by requesting a lunar crater to be named after her.
Victor Glover
Victor Glover also posted about reuniting with his family after completing his historic moon mission. On X, the Artemis II astronaut wrote, “Home, again! Mission complete,” alongside a photo with his wife and four daughters.
One of Mr. Glover’s daughters, Maya, went viral in the early days of the mission when she posted a TikTok video on April 4 celebrating the success of her dad’s moon mission. Wearing a T-shirt with his image – suited up, of course – Maya can be seen smiling and performing a quick dance in the clip. “When your dad successfully pilots Artemis II halfway to the moon,” the on-video text reads.
On April 14, a shared Instagram video posted to Mr. Glover’s account (as well as his fellow Artemis II astronauts and other NASA accounts) shows a close-up view of what happened after the crew splashed down. In the clip, personnel can be seen opening the capsule hatch, stepping inside to check on the four astronauts among celebratory cheers and “welcome home” greetings.
Christina Koch
Michigan-born astronaut Christina Koch has been keeping her social media followers in the loop post-mission, sharing photos with her friends and family, including her husband, Robert, and her dog, Sadie. “I’m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion,” she wrote on social media.
Artemis II NASA astronaut Christina Koch reunited with her dog, Sadie, on Sunday after returning to Earth from a 10-day space mission.
Reuters
Ms. Koch also posted a farewell photo to Orion, where she can be seen hugging the capsule. “This was involuntary. I needed to say thank you. And goodbye,” she wrote on Instagram.