Artemis II Commander Reveals Moment of Terror When Distance Counter Overshot Target
Reid Wiseman, commander of the historic Artemis II lunar flyby, disclosed that he experienced a moment of genuine fear during the mission when the spacecraft’s distance from Earth exceeded the planned maximum. Speaking at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife, Spain, Wiseman described watching the odometer tick past 219,667 nautical miles, the intended turnaround point. The counter continued to rise to 219,669 nautical miles, causing him to worry the crew would not return home. The fear subsided when the counter began to drop, confirming the spacecraft was on its way back. This revelation highlights the tension of the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, which set a new record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.