{"id":524572,"date":"2026-04-11T04:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/524572\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T04:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:26:08","slug":"katie-britt-highlights-huntsvilles-role-in-artemis-ii-during-astronaut-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/524572\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Britt highlights Huntsville\u2019s role in Artemis II during astronaut call"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alabama\u2019s role in NASA\u2019s return to deep space took center stage this week as U.S. Sen. Katie Britt<\/a> (R-Ala.)\u00a0 highlighted the Artemis II mission<\/a> during a call with the crew, spotlighting contributions from Huntsville\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n

Britt joined NASA leadership and fellow lawmakers to communicate with the four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft as the mission neared completion. Artemis II marks the first crewed deep space flight since 1972, with a lunar fly-by set to conclude upon re-entry.<\/p>\n

During the call, Britt emphasized the significance of the mission and invited the astronauts to share messages with their families and the next generation of explorers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey everyone! I know how proud we are in Alabama of the role that Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville has played in this incredible mission. So, I can\u2019t even imagine how unbelievably proud your families are of you and how excited they are to see you soon and to welcome you back to Earth. So, instead of a question, I want to let each of you just take the next minute to publicly address your children and the next generation of space explorers as (this) history-making space flight mission enters its final hours. So, thank you so much for your incredible service and your example.\u201d<\/p>\n

Astronauts responded with personal reflections directed to their children and loved ones.<\/p>\n

Wiseman responded, \u201cWell, I thank you very much for this question \u2026\u00a0 I just want to look at my daughters Ellie and Katey and just say I love you and their support has been unbelievable. I don\u2019t think they knew what this mission really meant when we launched, but they have learned through the outpouring of public support, their friend\u2019s support and family\u2019s support. Really, the world has come together. We have seen it and we have seen it through their eyes too. And it has been a very proud moment for me as their father to see the joy in their expression and the way they email and communicate when we have private conferences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hansen responded, \u201cFor my three children, Devon, Ashley and Kaitlin, you know, I think it\u2019s worth pointing out I learn as much, maybe more from you than you learn from me. But the one thing I would remind you, and I think is worth reminding ourselves and other youth is that all you have to do on any given day is just get up and do your best and try to find joy in your day and try to contribute in a meaningful and positive way. And that\u2019s it. And I think we as humans, we put too much pressure on ourselves, looking for perfection. And, if you look at what we\u2019re doing out here, it is far from perfection, but we are getting it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glover responded, \u201cGenesis, Maya, Joia and Corinne, as we are on our way back from this dream of a mission, your mom and I look forward to supporting you, chasing and catching your own dreams. We spent years coaching you, but we are very much in that transition to being cheerleaders and just rooting for you in life. And to the future citizens out there, the same sentiment applies. I hope this mission is giving you something that you can take and put in your pocket, or in your heart and mind that you keep with you, but it\u2019s not because we want you to see what we\u2019ve tried to show you. It\u2019s because we want you to take this and build a vocabulary to explain the world to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koch responded, \u201cI\u2019ll take this second to say something to my nine nieces and nephews, which is I love you and thank you for the amazing letters you wrote me, the amazing pictures you drew me. You had beautiful Earths and rockets, and they truly touched my mission, and I feel like you\u2019re here with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A video of the live exchange between Britt and the astronauts can be seen here.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Following the call, Britt praised NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center and its workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis historic Artemis II mission is a remarkable feat of mankind made possible by decades of Alabama grit and ingenuity. As our nation reflects on this extraordinary accomplishment, I\u2019m especially proud to highlight the men and women of Marshall Space Flight Center. It was an honor to thank the Artemis II crew today for their leadership and contributions to the future of space exploration, but it also reminded me of the work happening every day in Huntsville to execute this mission. I couldn\u2019t be prouder to support Marshall\u2019s space programs, and I\u2019m deeply grateful for every single individual who played a role in making this journey a reality. Because of their efforts, America is leading the way back to the Moon and then to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marshall Space Flight Center has played a central role in developing NASA\u2019s human spaceflight rockets, including the Space Launch System used for Artemis II, while also supporting real-time mission operations throughout the 10-day flight. Britt has advocated for continued funding for Marshall-led programs, including the Space Launch System, Human Landing System, and nuclear propulsion initiatives, securing billions in federal support through recent appropriations measures.<\/p>\n

Sherri Blevinis is a reporter for 256 Today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alabama\u2019s role in NASA\u2019s return to deep space took center stage this week as U.S. Sen. Katie Britt…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524573,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[182137,182138,182139,182140,182141,182142,2273,182143,137526,90,416,161488,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-524572","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-artemis-ii-astronauts","9":"tag-artemis-mission","10":"tag-huntsville-nasa","11":"tag-huntsville-space-program","12":"tag-katie-britt-artemis-ii","13":"tag-katie-britt-nasa-call","14":"tag-marshall-space-flight-center","15":"tag-north-alabama-nasa","16":"tag-orion-spacecraft","17":"tag-science","18":"tag-space","19":"tag-space-launch-system","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom","22":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}