A light-hearted moment from the Artemis II mission captured by Fox News showed Commander Reid Wiseman describing the crew’s energetic morning aboard the Orion spacecraft: “We all agreed, we would wake up slow and get into the day easy and quiet…It was the perfect way to start our day.”
This upbeat clip came shortly after the successful translunar injection burn on April 2–3, 2026, which sent the crew, Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
NASA’s Dr. Lori Glaze hailed the milestone, noting Orion was operating with crew for the first time and marking “meaningful progress” for the Artemis program. President Trump had earlier celebrated the launch on Truth Social, calling the astronauts “brave” and declaring America is “WINNING… BEYOND THE STARS” and “DOMINATE[s].”
In any case, a Fox News clip broadcast from the space mission offered an insight into what life is like for the crew. “It and we like we all agree, would wake up slow and get into the day easy and quiet, and this morning, we all got up cheering and rocking and getting everything ready to go. It was the perfect way to start our day,” a crewmember stated.
Adding context, Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said, “Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit.”
“Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy now are on a precise trajectory toward the Moon,” she added, “Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data, and learning from each step.”
Wrapping up her comments, she stated, “Each milestone we reach marks meaningful progress on the path forward for the Artemis program. While we have eight intensive days of work ahead, this is a big moment, and we’re proud to share it with the world.”
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Watch the clip here:
Before the successful launch, the president stated, “Tonight at 6:24 P.M. EST, for the first time in over 50 YEARS, America is going back to the Moon! Artemis II, among the most powerful rockets ever built, is launching our Brave Astronauts farther into Deep Space than any human has EVER gone.”
“We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between — Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS. Nobody comes close!” he added, “America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching.”
Wrapping up his first comments, the President stated, “God bless our incredible Astronauts, God bless NASA, and God bless the Greatest Nation ever to exist, the United States of America!” Later, after the launch was successful, he added more thoughts.
“Let me begin by congratulating the team at NASA and our brave astronauts on the successful launch of Artemis II,” Trump exclaimed, “God bless those four unbelievable astronauts… These are brave people.” Building on this point, he noted, “It will be traveling further than any manned rocket has ever flown… They are on the way, and God bless them. It’s amazing. They are on the way, and God bless them.”
Featured image from embedded video