CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – APRIL 01: (L-R) Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Christina Koch walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 01, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 322-foot-tall Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will take the astronauts around the moon and back, 230,000 miles out into space and the farthest any human has ever traveled from Earth. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Anna Commander

By Anna Commander

News Editor

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President Donald Trump spoke with the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission on Monday night, and they revealed some of the most "unforgettable" moments on board, including seeing the far side of the moon and an eclipse.

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Why It Matters

The conversation took place after the astronauts traveled on Monday farther into space than any humans before, passing the record previously set during Apollo, NASA says.

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The crew also lost communication for over 40 minutes during a planned blackout amid the historic flyby.

What To Know

In a call with the crew, Trump asked them in part, "what is the most unforgettable part of this really historic day?" Commander Reid Wiseman said, "I have to tell you, as we came around the near side of the moon and seeing all the sights that we've seen from Earth, for all of our lives, but we're seeing them from a different perspective…and we saw sights…that no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo, and that was amazing for us."

"And then the surprise of the day, we just came out of an eclipse," Wiseman added. "We could see the corona of the sun and then we could see the planet train line up…and all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two-planet species."

Mission Specialist Christina Koch said seeing the far side of the moon was special, along with the first glimpses of Earth after not being in communication for around 45 minutes.

What People Are Saying

NASA Artemis, on X Monday: "Artemis II is now entering a solar eclipse that will last for about an hour as Orion, the Moon and the Sun align. During this phase, the crew will see the Sun disappear behind a mostly darkened Moon."

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, on X Monday: "Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth. On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home. Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world. Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific."

What Happens Next

The mission is planned to last a total of 10 days.

Left to right, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, Pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch exit the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the Artemis II launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 1 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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