Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons describes the emotional, record-breaking Artemis II lunar flyby from her role in NASA’s Houston control room
HOUSTON: Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons has described an emotional and historic day supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission from the control room in Houston.
As the backup crew member, Gibbons was the primary communicator with the astronauts during their landmark flight around the Moon.
She said the atmosphere was filled with palpable excitement, describing it as a “special” moment of tears, hugs and laughter.
“The excitement in the room for the descriptions (of space) that (the) crew called down was enormous,” Gibbons told AFP.
She noted all the flight controllers had likely been inspired by the Apollo program and worked their whole lives for this moment.
The Artemis II team spent nearly seven hours gazing out the spacecraft windows, breaking records and making history.
“We broke the distance record for Apollo 13, the furthest that humans have ever traveled from our home planet,” Gibbons said.
She called it one of her most cherished career moments, with people moved to tears, laughter, and gratitude.
The mission set a new record by travelling further from Earth than any humans before.
They surpassed the 1970 Apollo 13 mission’s distance by more than 4,000 miles, reaching 252,756 miles from Earth.
Gibbons explained this provided a unique perspective of Earth and views of the Moon’s far side not illuminated during Apollo.
The crew also described never-before-seen lunar terrain with their own eyes for the first time.
A particularly striking moment was when the crew witnessed a solar eclipse from their unique vantage point.
Gibbons said orbital mechanics allowed them to see incredible deep space and lunar features not obscured by sunlight.
The astronauts even used eclipse glasses for safety, creating a relatable experience for people on Earth.
The crew also observed rare “impact flashes” on the Moon’s dark surface, indicating new craters forming.
Gibbons said seeing four or five such events was outstanding and high-priority science for the mission.