The Artemis II crew traveled about 695,000 miles around the moon and back over the course of about 10 days in the Orion space capsule
Christina Koch was greeted by her dog Sadie upon returning from space(Image: @astro_christina/Instagram)
The Artemis II crew touched down on Earth Friday following their groundbreaking journey, with relief and celebration greeting their safe return.
The approximately 10-day mission saw the Orion space capsule crew – Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch from NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency – cover roughly 695,000 miles in their lunar orbit and return trip. The team shattered records as the humans who have ventured farthest from our planet.
The flight also marked the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. After enduring scorching temperatures around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit and hurtling through space at nearly 25,000 miles per hour, the Artemis II capsule made its Pacific Ocean splashdown.
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As they reentered Earth’s atmosphere, the astronauts were met with congratulations from across the globe, including a message from President Donald Trump.
“Your mission paves the way for America’s return to the lunar surface very soon,” the president radioed the astronauts. “We’re going all out. We’ll plant our flag once again, and this time we won’t just leave footprints. We’ll establish a permanent presence on the moon, and we’ll push on to Mars. That’ll be very exciting.”
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Yet for Christina, perhaps the most heartfelt homecoming came from her beloved pet. She shared an Instagram video capturing the moment her dog, Sadie, enthusiastically welcomed her back at her Houston residence.
The caption read, “I’m still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion. Sadie taught me everything I needed to know about being an emotional support animal. Didn’t expect that would come in handy.”
The footage shows Sadie pawing at the door and enthusiastically wagging her tail upon sensing her owner’s arrival. She then lets out excited barks as Christina swings the door open.
Christina exclaimed, “Hi, baby,” as her beloved pet rushed toward her, eager for head scratches and face licks. Sadie then dashes off to retrieve her favorite toy, bringing it back to Christina while her tail continues to wag furiously.
Christina and Sadie had been apart for nearly a month(Image: @astro_christina/Instagram)
Christina also shared a second video of the pair frolicking on the beach and splashing in the waves following her return from space.
Before the Artemis II mission, the crew was required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine to confirm they were in good health ahead of the launch – meaning the joyful reunion between Sadie and Christina was nearly a month in the making.
The heartwarming video quickly drew an outpouring of affectionate comments from viewers.
One user wrote, “Sadie has no idea how far you travelled to see her again. Love this so much.”
Another said, “The reunion we’ve all been waiting for!!”
A third noted, “I cried here, you too, all earth with the heart warm with this video!
“You’ve traveled all the way to the moon, you see the Earth as a tiny dot, and then you come back and you’re on a beach with your dog. That is the immense gratitude of life,” another said.