{"id":604233,"date":"2026-04-14T21:24:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/604233\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T21:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T21:24:10","slug":"artemis-ii-astronauts-what-are-they-doing-now-and-have-they-reunited-with-their-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/604233\/","title":{"rendered":"Artemis II astronauts: What are they doing now and have they reunited with their families?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Artemis II\u2019s 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<\/a> of the moon\u2019s far side, plus new views of the Earth \u2013 and a total solar eclipse. <\/p>\n

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<\/a>. Here\u2019s what the Artemis II astronauts have been doing post-mission. <\/p>\n

Jeremy Hansen<\/p>\n

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. \u201cLaunching on April 1st meant I got back in time to celebrate my 23rd wedding anniversary,\u201d he wrote, alongside a photo of himself and his gold wedding band. \u201cGrateful to be able to share this zero g photo of my wedding ring in person over dinner tonight \u2026 as well as some cuddle time on Earth.\u201d <\/p>\n

Mr. Hansen is married to Dr. Catherine Hansen, an OB\/GYN and the Chief Medical Officer at Effica<\/a>, a virtual menopause clinic. They live in Houston with their three children, Ashley, Katelyn and Devon. <\/p>\n

Devon, Mr. Hansen\u2019s son, also shared a special update in a video uploaded to his Instagram page<\/a> on April 8. In the clip, Devon explains that his dad took five birthstone necklace charms \u2013 one for each family member \u2013 with him aboard Artemis II. \u201cOnce he returns, they\u2019ll get returned to us, and it\u2019ll be like a little piece of us has travelled to the moon with him.\u201d <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Mr. Hadfield and Jeremy Hansen have a perhaps little-known connection. In 2012, Mr. Hansen was one of Mr. Hadfield\u2019s family escorts as he prepared for his 2013 mission. \u201cEssentially, the family escort is a surrogate spouse: someone who\u2019s available to help out on Earth not only during launch but later, when life has returned to normal but the mission is ongoing,\u201d Hadfield wrote in his 2013 book, An Astronaut\u2019s Guide to Life on Earth. <\/p>\n

Reid Wiseman<\/p>\n

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman also took to social media to celebrate his family reunion after the crew\u2019s April 10 splashdown<\/a>. \u201cMission complete,\u201d he wrote in an Instagram post where he can be seen sitting in a vehicle with his two daughters \u2013 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<\/a> submitted by individuals worldwide who wanted to send their names to space.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was supposed to leave Rise in Integrity,\u201d Mr. Wiseman wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cBut 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.\u201d <\/p>\n

Artemis II Q&A with science reporter Ivan Semeniuk<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr. Wiseman\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Victor Glover<\/p>\n

Victor Glover also posted about reuniting with his family after completing his historic moon mission. On X, the Artemis II astronaut wrote, \u201cHome, again! Mission complete,\u201d alongside a photo with his wife and four daughters.<\/p>\n

One of Mr. Glover\u2019s daughters, Maya, went viral in the early days of the mission when she posted a TikTok video on April 4<\/a> celebrating the success of her dad\u2019s moon mission. Wearing a T-shirt with his image \u2013 suited up, of course \u2013 Maya can be seen smiling and performing a quick dance in the clip. \u201cWhen your dad successfully pilots Artemis II halfway to the moon,\u201d the on-video text reads.<\/p>\n

On April 14, a shared Instagram video posted to Mr. Glover\u2019s 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 \u201cwelcome home\u201d greetings.<\/p>\n

Christina Koch<\/p>\n

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. \u201cI\u2019m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion,\u201d she wrote on social media.<\/a><\/p>\n

Artemis II NASA astronaut Christina Koch reunited with her dog, Sadie, on Sunday after returning to Earth from a 10-day space mission.<\/p>\n

Reuters<\/p>\n

Ms. Koch also posted a farewell photo to Orion, where she can be seen hugging the capsule. \u201cThis was involuntary. I needed to say thank you. And goodbye,\u201d she wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n