On Saturday night, the Orion space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. On board were the astronauts of the Artemis II expedition, which took humans farther into space than ever before.
Barely a day later, the four astronauts described the journey as both challenging and unifying, and said it had provided new perspectives.
"What impressed me was not just the Earth, but all the black emptiness around it," said Christina Koch.
During the trip around the Moon, the crew saw, among other things, a solar eclipse and a meteorite impact.
"Before you take off, it feels like the biggest dream on Earth. And once you're out there, you just want to get back to your families and friends. It's something very special to be human, and it's something very special to be on Earth," said astronaut Reid Wiseman.
During the journey, which lasted just over nine days, the crew broke the record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, reaching approximately 406,800 kilometers.
Artemis II was the first crewed mission in NASA's program to establish a permanent presence on the Moon. Plans include the future construction of a lunar base that could be used for further space exploration.
NASA hopes to send humans to the lunar surface as early as 2028.
