Artemis II astronaut moved to tears seeing Christian cross after historic moon journey

18 Apr 2026 • 2:36 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Artemis II astronaut moved to tears seeing Christian cross after historic moon journey

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman says he broke down in tears after seeing a Christian cross after landing back on earth.

While describing himself as “not really a religious person”, Wiseman told a press conference that, upon splashing down in the Pacific ocean after their historic mission around the moon, he asked to see the chaplain of the Navy vessel that picked them up.

“When that man walked in, I'd never met him before in my life. But I saw the cross on his collar, and I just broke down in tears. It's very hard to fully grasp what we just went through."