Artemis II Commander Shares Poignant Message Ahead Of Historic Lunar Flyby

The Artemis II crew is poised to perform a long-awaited lunar flyby on Monday that will push humans farther from Earth than ever before and offer the first naked-eye views of the Moon's far side. The four-person team — Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft for a planned 10-day mission.

Commander Reflects Before Close Approach

Hours before the close approach, Commander Reid Wiseman posted a reflective message on social media and resurfaced a 2016 post in which he wrote about dreaming of lunar orbit:

“Dreamt I was in lunar orbit last night. Been in that post‑vivid‑dream‑that‑wasn't‑real funk all morning.”

On Monday he summed up the moment simply:

“All I feel is gratitude for this experience.”

Why This Mission Matters

This flight will set a new human distance record and provide unparalleled views of the Moon's far side — a hemisphere never before seen by human eyes. The 10-day Artemis II mission is a critical step in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface and eventually establish a sustainable presence in deep space.

Watch Live

Live coverage of the lunar flyby begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Monday. The crew is scheduled to address the public at 2:45 p.m. ET before commencing their historic circuit of the Moon. Viewers can tune in to NASA’s broadcast for live commentary and mission updates.

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen have repeatedly described their reactions to the view outside the Orion windows as childlike wonder. As Wiseman put it Sunday evening:

“The four of us have looked at the Moon our entire lives, and the way we are responding to what we’re seeing out the window is just like we’re a bunch of kids up here. We cannot get enough of this. It’s amazing.”

Originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 6, 2026.